Star Wars: The Spark of Hope
by valsolo
Summary: After the events of The Last Jedi, the Resistance continues its efforts to bring peace and freedom to the galaxy. Meanwhile, Rey and Kylo Ren grapple with their Force bond and what it means for their future. Is there any hope for them or the rest of the galaxy?
1. Chapter 1

Title: Star Wars: The Spark of Hope

Author: valsolo

Timeframe: post- The Last Jedi

Rating: T

Characters: Rey, Kylo Ren, Leia, Finn, Rose, Hux, Poe... you name it!

*My take on what should have happened after The Last Jedi. Join me if you like!:)

Chapter 1–

Star Wars: The Spark of Hope

The Resistance is on the run.

The survivors of the First Order's

attack on the rebel base at Crait

have gone deep into hiding,

trying to regroup and reinforce

their decimated ranks.

The First Order, led by Kylo Ren,

works to maintain control

over the galaxy and bring a

complete end to the rebellion.

But the tale of Jedi Master Luke

Skywalker's unbelievable sacrifice

on Crait is finding its way from

planet to planet, quietly inspiring

the oppressed, urging them to

make a move and take a stand.

The spark of hope is spreading.

Chapter 1– Alone

So many stars.

So many worlds.

So many people.

And he was still alone.

Kylo Ren, Supreme Leader of the First Order, largest power in the entire galaxy, controlled it all, could make or break whole systems with just a few words. Everyone lived in fear of him, knowing he held their lives in his fingertips should he be displeased. He could possess whatever he so desired. No one would dare deny him.

Well, almost no one.

He forced that all-too-frequent thought out of his mind. He would not think of her today. In fact, he determined this would most certainly be the day he did not even bring her face to memory.

_'__Ben...don't go this way.'_

Too late. He slammed his fist into the closest wall and stoked the anger inside to rise and smother out the other, weaker emotions— regret, guilt, sadness. But it could not snuff out the loneliness that had been his constant companion ever since the last time he saw her face as the door of the Millennium Falcon closed and she was truly gone.

It made no sense. Why was he not satisfied? Content with his current unlimited, ultimate power? Long ago he had stopped feeling the need for pointless things like family and friends. He had been fine with reveling alone in his accomplishments. Snoke had periodically meted out words of praise that, at the time, left Kylo feeling proud. Knowing he was hurting his family by doing the very opposite of what they would ever want left him strangely sated.

But not now.

Kylo knew Snoke had only used him for his own ends, manipulated his apprentice's feelings to serve his own purpose—- just like his father had warned him. He had been foolish then. However, Kylo was still alive. Snoke was not, and Kylo felt absolutely no remorse for slicing his former master in half, using Snoke's own overconfidence to catch him off guard.

Once again, her face appeared unbidden in his mind. For a moment, he had seen the look of fear in her eyes as she wondered whether he would end her as Snoke commanded. Then the deed was done. Snoke lay in pieces, and Rey joined him in fighting the Praetorian guards. Never had he been so in sync with another. They fought as if they'd been training together for years, and in those few, brief moments he felt...complete. Reaching out his hand to her, he offered her everything— the power to make the galaxy whatever they wanted it to be. She would never again be just a nobody scavenger living hand to mouth, but have every comfort, every desire fulfilled. And he offered himself. Felt no hesitation in the act. Yet she rejected him— rejected all he offered for the sake of some antiquated ideal, the same ideal his own family had neglected him for years ago.

The rage returned and he picked up a nearby data pad with the Force and flung it across the room to smash into hundreds of pieces when it hit the wall.

"Problems with your data pad… Supreme Leader?"

Kylo spun around to see his intruder— General Armitage Hux, once his rival for Snoke's approval, and now an unfortunately bothersome necessity. His knowledge and efficiency with running the First Order's military operations made it necessary to keep him around. If not for Hux's skills, however, Kylo would have rid himself of the power-hungry zealot months ago.

Kylo stood tall and straightened his black tunic. "No. No problem," he stated calmly. Hux tried to hide his surprise at this unexpected reaction. He seemed always to be walking a thin line of insubordination. "What is it?" Kylo asked.

"You said you wanted a report as soon as our intelligence team returned to the ship."

A flash of excitement had Kylo listening intently. Had he found them? Found her? Could this be the chance to finally finish off the Resistance once and for all? Hux was taking too long. "Well?"

"They found evidence the rebels had been on the planet, but have been gone for some time now. We got the information from a local space dock worker who apparently helped them get supplies and leave the planet undetected," he explained. "Needless to say, we killed him once he gave us what we wanted." He looked pointedly at Kylo. "No place in the galaxy for traitors."

For a split second Kylo thought Hux might be referring to a traitor other than the rebel, but there was no way he could possibly know the truth about Snoke's death. Kylo had taken care to craft a believable story, and Hux was at least intelligent enough not to question him openly. It had taken a few Force chokes here and there, but the man had eventually learned his place in this new hierarchy. What had Snoke said about keeping a rabid cur around? Hux might be a nuisance, but he had his uses.

Kylo took his time, choosing not to respond to Hux's goad. "Very well, then. Prepare the ship to leave and go to the next system. I want the remainder of the Resistance found and destroyed as soon as possible. I'm tired of waiting."

General Hux knew he was being dismissed, so he bowed and left.

"Yes...Supreme Leader," General Armitage Hux practically had to force the words out through gritted teeth as he left the room. He worked hard to keep his true thoughts deep inside— at least until he was well away from Kylo Ren. He had no desire to be force-choked or flung against a wall today.

When he finally reached the bridge, he let his breath out in relief. The hatred churned in his gut as he contemplated this last meeting with Kylo Ren— or rather, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren. His lip curled in disgust. The man had no idea how to run a military operation or how to rule a galaxy either. The Resistance was dead, apart from a handful who had survived Crait. They had no fight left in them, having months ago fled underground to hide like the sniveling cowards they were. And yet Ren was practically obsessed with finding the ragtag remnants, convinced it was no victory until they were all gone.

So more resources were being used to track down any hint or rumor of the Resistance's whereabouts. A complete waste of time in Hux's mind. But, alas, he was not in charge.

Oh, how he despised Kylo Ren! It was almost impossible to believe how Ren had come to power. Hard to believe some nobody girl had killed Supreme Leader Snoke, eight Praetorian guards, and rendered Ren unconscious. If only he had been quicker to pull his blaster in that throne room and get rid of Ren right then and there, things would be very different.

Hux still wasn't convinced Ren had told the whole truth. It was something about that girl. She had somehow escaped from Ren three times now— twice on Starkiller base and now from the Supremacy. She had some kind of hold on the fool whether the man realized it or not. And so these doubts had kept Hux questioning it all in his mind...caused him to secretly commission his most trusted underlings to search through the wreckage and data remains of the Supremacy looking for any evidence to support his suspicions. If he could find just one little bit of proof to dispute Ren's story, it might be the beginning of the end for the 'Supreme Leader.'

Hux smiled. How sweet it would be to bring Ren down. How sweet, indeed.

"That's twenty more— seven of them pilots," Commander Poe Dameron beamed.

General Leia Organa smiled at his enthusiasm. He was turning into quite the leader, working hard to make up for his mistake at D'Qar. They had nearly been eliminated. In fact, she had nearly lost hope that any of them would make it out of the doomed rebel base on Crait until Luke had shown up.

Luke. She thought of him and smiled. What a showboat! Leave it to him to wait until the last possible second to make his move— just like the Death Star—- just like Bespin—- just like Jabba's sail barge. She chuckled to herself. She could laugh now, but at the time of each of those incidents, there was nothing to laugh about. Except maybe strangling Jabba with that blasted chain! That was quite amusing and oh, so satisfying.

But now he was gone, just like Han and her son. And she was alone. She didn't want to let on that it bothered her. Too many people were looking to her to be the ever-optimistic leader who never gave up hope. But hope was getting harder and harder to hold onto. She'd been fighting this fight for a long time—- too long, in truth—- and it seemed all for nothing. The evil she had fought against as a young woman was still around. It had only slumbered for a time before making its return, bigger and badder than ever. And worst of all, it had her son in its vile grip and wouldn't let go.

She looked around their small briefing room— or at least what was serving as a briefing room on their current hideout location. Ever since Crait they had been hopping from planet to planet trying to outrun the First Order who seemed more intent than ever on finding them. Intelligence reports, what they could get anyway, said that Kylo Ren was in charge now. When she first found out, she spent the night in her private quarters weeping—- weeping for her son and what he might have been— weeping for her precious Han whom she never stopped loving— weeping for her failures as a mother and a leader—- and weeping for the people who depended on her to keep them going. It was all quite the mess.

Rey caught her eye from across the table and smiled. Leia smiled back. The girl was a wonder. Leia knew it was the Force that had brought her into their lives. No mere coincidence that she was the one to find BB-8 on Jakku, just as it was no coincidence when Luke found R2-D2 on Tatooine. The Force was strong and always in motion. She had to believe there was a purpose, a reason for all she had been through, all the galaxy had been through. Surely, it couldn't be for nothing— all the heartache and pain. She was so tired and knew she couldn't keep fighting forever. The next generation needed to take up the banner and continue the efforts until peace and freedom were a reality for everyone, everywhere. Unfortunately, the time she had to train them was running out. (Her creaky joints reminded her of that when she got out of bed every morning.) Poe, Rey, Finn and the other brave young rebels needed to keep hope alive.

Now, only if she could do the same.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Is it wrong that I'm enjoying this?"

Poe Dameron laughed out loud and clapped Finn on the back. "No, buddy. I think it's pretty normal. They are pretty impressive out there. Rose is getting pretty good at it, and Rey, well...Rey is just...unbelievable."

The two friends stood off to the side of the training area watching the 'show' out on the floor. Rey and Rose were practicing fighting one another with staffs. Growing up on the morally questionable planet of Jakku, Rey had needed early on to learn how to defend herself in order to survive, and a staff had been her weapon of choice. Now she was teaching Rose Tico and other new recruits some of her skills to help them fight the First Order. She spun around, leg out in an effort to catch her opponent off guard, but Rose blocked the blow, and, in a moment of overconfidence, failed to predict the swift counter- move Rey landed, sweeping the shorter girl's legs out from under her, knocking her on her behind.

Rose landed with a grunt. Rey stopped and offered her a hand up. "You okay? Did I hurt you?"

Rose accepted the hand and pulled up from the floor with another small groan of pain. She dusted off her pants and sighed. "Only my pride. I was so happy I finally blocked you that I stopped paying attention."

Rey steadied Rose on her slightly wobbly legs until she found her footing. Then she picked up Rose's staff and handed it to her. "No, you're doing really well. You've gotten loads better than when we first started training together. You should be proud," she smiled encouragingly.

"Thanks," Rose replied gratefully.

"Hey, you two look good out there," Poe announced as he and Finn walked out to meet them.

Rey couldn't help but notice the huge smile that lit up Rose's face when she turned to see Finn coming toward her. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that Rose was crazy about him, and she was pretty sure he felt the same. Even though Rose had proven herself extremely independent and capable, Finn always seemed to be trying to protect her...look out for her. Rose didn't seem to mind. Rey smiled to herself. She was happy the two had found each other, even if they hadn't quite made it official yet. With all the galaxy in turmoil under the First Order, it was reassuring to know such, kind, sweet souls had found some happiness together.

Finn placed a hand on Rose's lower back. "Are you okay? That was a hard hit."

A still-smiling Rose replied, "I'm good."

Poe turned his attention to Rey. "You're doing a great job. We'll have ten more recruits to train in a few days. They'll need the whole deal to get up to speed— hand to hand, blaster work, basic ship mechanics. Are you guys ready for another round?"

Finn, Rose, and Rey all looked at one another, then nodded simultaneously. Ever since their defeat on Crait, the Resistance had gone on the run, trying to stay off the First Order's radar while also rebuilding their paltry numbers. On each world they visited, they would round up more ships and supplies. However, more importantly, they would search out sympathizers, recruiting more people who were willing to fight for their cause. The first few months had been less than productive. Fortunately, as time passed and news of Luke Skywalker's amazing last stand spread across the galaxy, more and more people were finding the courage to finally take action against the First Order's oppressive regime. It wasn't always in huge, overt ways, but in small ways that undermined the First Order and its rule in their lives.

Once new members joined up, they were trained in all the necessary skills. Rey, Finn, and all of the previous members each used their areas of expertise to help. Rey focused on hand to hand combat with staffs and other weapons of the like. Finn taught them about blasters and schooled them on First Order strategies, while Rose filled them in on basic mechanical knowledge that might come in handy dealing with a variety of ships and vehicles. So far, it had been going well, but not with the numbers they needed to launch or survive any kind of full-on attack from their enemy.

"All right, then," Poe said. "Leia's called a meeting in an hour. Why don't you guys grab some lunch and I'll see you then."

They all agreed, with Poe leaving in one direction and Finn and Rose starting off in another. As soon as they realized Rey wasn't following, they stopped and turned back to her.

"Aren't you coming?" Finn questioned with his usual slight look of worry. He really was such a good friend.

Rey thought about it for a moment, but then shook her head. "You two go ahead. I still have to finish up here."

"You're sure?" Rose replied.

Rey smiled reassuringly. "I'm sure." Then they left, immediately returning to their previous conversation as they walked.

And then Rey was alone.

Her smile flattened out and she sighed deeply. She shouldn't feel this way, but she couldn't help it. She was grateful for her newfound friendships. It had been sorely lacking in her life up until Finn showed up on Jakku. Helping the Resistance fight against the First Order gave her a purpose of which to be proud, and it surrounded her with a group of people that all wanted good things for the whole galaxy.

But anytime she thought of the First Order, she automatically thought of him.

And that inevitably led her to think of her own foolishness. She had been so certain he would turn back to the light...come with her and leave the First Order and the dark side behind. She had seen it in her vision. But that wasn't what happened.

When she first encountered him back in the woods of Takodana, he had frightened her— a looming figure all in black stomping menacingly straight toward her, freezing her in place, forcefully reading her mind. He was a monster.

Then, in the interrogation room on Starkiller Base, she found the monster was indeed a man. He revealed more than just his face after removing that helmet. He tried desperately to get the information out of her head, so confident that he could take whatever he wanted. But something else had happened— something unexpected and inexplicable except by the Force. She had read his mind instead...seen his fears...felt his loneliness. And it terrified her because it mirrored her own.

So many thoughts ran through her mind when it came to Ben Solo, or as the rest of the galaxy knew him, Kylo Ren— Supreme Leader of the First Order. She could still see the look on his face that day on Crait when she closed the door of the Millenium Falcon. It was the last time she had seen him through their Force connection. His army had nearly annihilated the Resistance until Luke Skywalker showed up to confront his nephew. She had heard the stories from nearly everyone who had seen it. How Luke had survived the barrage of laser blasts from the opposing forces. How Ben had come down in fury from his shuttle to fight his uncle, his ultimate betrayer, only to be nearly made a fool of when the realization that Luke was merely projecting his image to provide a distraction for the rest of the Resistance survivors to retreat finally registered.

But that look he gave her at the end… it wasn't filled with rage and hatred. Instead he looked sad and lonely and betrayed. In his mind, everyone he ever cared about had left him, pushed him to the side for someone or something else. And then it surely must have seemed she was doing the same.

Not a day went by that she didn't think of him—-think of what she could have done differently. She could have stayed on Ahch-To and not run off to try and save him. She could have taken his hand and gone with him when he offered after their defeat of the red guards. She could have even ended him while he lay unconscious in Snoke's throne room. She had been the first to awaken after all. When she had come to, she looked around at the destruction. Snoke's body lay in pieces near his throne. The bodies of the guards were sprawled lifeless on the floor where they fell. The red curtain was nearly gone, only a few burning pieces left. And then there was him. He looked peaceful and her heart broke. Here was Han and Leia's only son, Luke's nephew. So much potential. He could do so much good with all of the power he possessed, but he wouldn't. He wanted to turn away from it all...let it all die...let everyone else die. And she could not join him on that path, no matter how close she felt to him, how much they shared, how connected they were.

But she couldn't kill him. She just couldn't. So she grabbed the broken halves of the lightsaber and fled. Later she pondered just why she took the time to locate the pieces before leaving. They were surely not worth anything now, yet at the time she thought it was important. So she took them and left Ben behind.

She had not seen him since. While she imagined she could still feel a faint connection, they had not seen each other again. Snoke said he created their bond, but if so, how had they seen each other that last time? Snoke was already dead. No, something told her their bond was in existence before Snoke knew about it. Maybe he manipulated it, but it was still theirs. In her quiet moments of contemplation, she sometimes wondered if it was possible to contact Ben using her own power. Truth be told, she had been searching the old Jedi texts to find any reference to it, but had not found any yet.

A loud clang from across the room snapped her out of her thoughts. She turned to find one of the newer Resistance fighters picking up a couple of practice staffs he had knocked over. "Sorry!" He said sheepishly.

Rey smiled and told him it was okay. She had not realized how long she'd been standing there. Maybe she would grab something to eat before their meeting after all.

General Leia Organa surveyed the small group of people crowded into her tiny office also serving as their briefing room. Force, were they young! She hid a tiny smile as they settled in, thinking that was probably what Mon Mothma and Jan Dodonna had thought about her all those years ago.

She started. "Our numbers are growing," she announced, "but not like we need them to. If we want to stand a chance against the First Order, we have to convince more people to join us in our fight." Every time she said the words 'First Order', she couldn't help but think of her son and another little piece of her heart would break. "Now, Finn has approached me with an idea, one I think might have a chance to work. But it's risky."

All eyes turned to look at the former Stormtrooper in surprise. He typically stayed fairly quiet during these meetings, more used to taking orders than giving any.

"Finn," Leia continued, "why don't you fill them in?"

He nodded and took a deep breath. "I think one of the only ways we have a chance to defeat the First Order is if we work from the inside."

Everyone else raised their eyebrows in disbelief and confusion wondering what he meant. They waited for him to go on.

"Back on the Supremacy, when Rose and I were trying to deactivate that tracker, I ran into some stormtroopers who actually seemed somewhat sympathetic to our cause. Or at the very least, they were very unsatisfied with their own. I think I almost had them talked into defecting," he explained. "But then Phasma showed up and shot them all."

Everyone else gasped and looked at one another afraid to speak.

"And then while we were on Gantu, I happened to overhear some of the stormtroopers stationed at the spaceport talking about how they thought the First Order was headed for disaster under Kylo Ren and Hux. They were complaining about their orders to immediately execute anyone who opposed the First Order's rules no matter what—- including children. They weren't happy about it at all.

"I think we might be able to persuade some of them to help us. I can't be the only one who disagrees with some of the First Order's policies, and that proves it," Finn explained.

For a moment, no one spoke. Finally Poe did.

"If there are even stormtroopers like that, how can we know? How can we contact them and still keep ourselves and our location safe? No way should we put ourselves in danger."

Leia expected this reaction. It had been her own when Finn first brought the idea to her. However, upon further reflection, she found the idea had merit.

"Finn and I have talked about that," she interjected."We've picked up a couple of pretty talented slicers in the past couple of months. Maybe it's time we put their skills to use."

Finn took over when she paused and nodded for him to jump back in. "The slicers could send out holomessages to the troops stationed on some of the planets we've already been to— encrypted so they can't trace them back to us wherever we are. Give them a way to contact us, but so that we could control it all. Plus, we could even have them hack into Ren's command ship and disrupt the order a little. It might be fun."

Leia winced imperceptibly at the mention of her son. Poe sat in quiet contemplation for a few seconds considering the proposition. Rey watched the looks on everyone's faces and stopped when she got to Leia. The two women locked eyes and an unspoken thought flashed between them—- Ben.

A smile spread across Poe's face. "It could work," he conceded. "And I'm always up for disrupting the order of the First Order. Besides, we've got to do something. The time for drastic measures is now, I suppose. I say, let's give it a try." The others slowly nodded their agreement.

Leia smiled. "Sounds like we have a plan."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Arghhhh!" Rey screamed and barely caught herself before throwing the book in her hands to the floor. It was one of the ancient Jedi books she had taken from the tree on Ahch-To, and it would definitely not be smart to destroy one of the last remaining sources of Jedi information in existence.

She'd been reading and studying them closely over the past months, taking notes and searching for anything to help further her training. The texts were unfortunately rather dry and boring, but she had gleaned a few useful things so far.

Most recently she had been searching for any scrap of writing that might help her with Force projecting. It all came back to Ben. She thought of him all too often. How could she not? He was the leader of their enemy's forces. However, lately it had escalated. Every night for the past week she dreamed of him—- all kinds of dreams, many of which repeated with only minor alterations.

One took her back to the forest on Starkiller Base right at the moment she was precariously perched on the edge of that large crevasse, her lightsaber barely withstanding the pressure of his. He would mention the Force, and something in her would pause— just for a moment. But then instead of pushing back and continuing the fight, her foot would slip and she would tumble down, down, down while watching Ben hold out his hand futilely and call her name. Other times their places were reversed, and he was the one to fall to his doom as she watched helplessly. Of course, she always woke up before either of them hit the bottom, but found it nearly impossible to go back to sleep.

Another dream had her re-enter the dark cave on Ahch-To to once again gaze into that mirrored wall. Only this time, instead of seeing herself in the reflection, she saw him.

Many of the brief moments they had shared together appeared in various "What if" versions, too. For example, what if he had decided to torture her in the interrogation room on Starkiller Base? What if he hadn't been shot by Chewbacca and weakened for their fight in the woods? What if Luke's lightsaber had flown to him instead of her? Those dreams were terrifying.

On the other hand, there were the other dreams that frightened her for … other reasons. What if Luke hadn't found Ben and her in the hut that fateful night? What if, instead of taking the time to stand and stare at Snoke's dead body, Ben had thrown off that final guard's arm from over his head, walked straight to her, swept her into his arms and—-

No, those dreams were almost worse because they left her with a longing she couldn't explain, one that made her think and feel a little too much. What if she had just taken his hand, his offer to leave all of it behind there in Snoke's burning throne room? Could they have put an end to all of this fighting?

So the dreams would not stop and Rey finally accepted that the Force was not about to let her forget him. That led to her search for tips on projection. Perhaps if she could re-establish their Force connection and talk to him again… just maybe that light she had seen in him when they touched was still in there. And so for that reason, she simply had to keep trying.

She sighed heavily and fell back onto her bunk.

"Having trouble?"

Rey jolted up to a seated position and looked in astonishment at the person in front of her. "Luke?," she whispered, taking in the wholly unexpected sight of him. He was emitting a shimmery, blue glow which helped her realize what she was seeing.

"I'm a Force ghost, yes," he said matter-of-fact. "I bet you learned that from those ancient texts you …'_**borrowed**_.'" His tone of sarcasm made her look away guiltily. "Don't worry about it," he added encouragingly. "You did what you thought was best, and you were right to take them."

She looked up at him in surprise, not sure what to say.

"So," he announced, easing down on the edge of her bunk, "now that that's out of the way."

"Why...why are you here?" Rey finally managed to ask.

"Well, I would have been here sooner, but it took a while to get the hang of this whole Force ghost thing," he explained nonchalantly. She just stared. Eventually, Luke took a deep breath and stated calmly, "We have some work to do."

"Work?"

"Yes. I know I wasted a lot of time and wasn't very forthcoming with the Jedi training before, but I've had some time to think about it and discuss it with some of my...wise colleagues. And now I've come to the conclusion that you need help."

Still Rey sat in complete silence. Was this really happening? Was he really here or was she dreaming again?

"Look, I'll admit you were right about a few things," Luke continued. "Ben scared me. His power was unlike any I had encountered since my father. My own insecurities caused me to doubt not only myself, but him as well. As you said, I did assume he had already made the choice to go to the dark side. I didn't give him a chance, and look at what happened as a result.

His voice drifted off for a moment and then he said softly, "So you were right. I did help create Kylo Ren."

Rey knew it took a lot for him to admit, even though he had been quick to admit to his other failures easily enough on Ahch-To when he made excuses for hiding there. But the fall of his nephew was an especially sensitive subject… for both of them.

"I keep dreaming of him," she blurted out.

Luke studied her carefully. "Do you now?"

"Yes. I think...I think the Force is trying to tell me not to give up hope that he'll turn back to the light."

"So you truly believe there is still good in him?" Luke asked. "He's done a lot of horrible things."

"I know," she admitted, "but so had Darth Vader, and he still came back."

Luke sighed. "Yes, but only after years and years of doing the bidding of Palpatine and the dark side." He gazed deeply into her eyes. "Why do you have so much hope for Ben? You barely know him."

Good question. Why did she keep holding onto this tiny sliver of hope for Ben Solo? What was it that made her look past the monster who had tried to obliterate the entire Resistance to see the sad, lonely man underneath? A question of her own begged to be asked.

"When you showed up on Crait, you came to face him," she began, "but you knew he couldn't kill you and you couldn't kill him— not with being a projection. So… did you change your mind about him? Did you think you could save him?"

Sadly, Luke shook his head. "I couldn't save him, just like his parents couldn't and neither can you."

The words cut like a knife and she stared down at her lap. It had been what she thought could happen—- her saving him from the dark side. It was why she left Ahch-To those many months ago, convinced she had some part to play in the story of Ben Solo. Now, hearing Luke voice what she'd been denying made her heart sink.

"No, Ben has to decide to save himself," Luke explained. "But I think he does need someone to show him that he's still worth saving." He placed his hand on hers. "And I think that's you, Rey."

She glanced up with new hope and interest in what he would say next.

"Which is why I'm here," he said as he stood. "I'm going to help you with this projection trick so you can connect with him again. At least that's how we'll start. He needs to be knocked a little off-balance to get him started thinking about his choices. In fact, maybe I'll pay my nephew a little visit of my own," he mused.

"Now, let's get started."

He heard them again. More men talking about their _beloved_ Supreme Leader, he thought with a sneer. No, not beloved. Feared, perhaps and maybe somewhat respected if only for his powers in the Force. But the men were not quite so enthralled with their young leader as the man probably assumed. Hux smirked at his secret knowledge.

Ever since the somewhat disastrous battle on Crait, the story of Kylo Ren's erratic behavior and humiliation at the hands of his own uncle was quietly spreading within the ranks. And Hux was doing nothing to stop it. It was all playing out according to his plan. 'If anyone should have succeeded Snoke, it should have been me,' he thought angrily. Kylo Ren was nothing but an unstable child _playing_ at war. Hux had been raised to lead this great army. It was his right. And Ren had stolen it from him.

But no bother. He just had to be patient. Give Ren enough rope and he would hang himself. Plus, Hux was adding fuel to the fire, starting some of the circulating rumors himself. The way Ren kept himself shut off from nearly everyone else made it entirely too easy to place doubts in the minds of the soldiers. And if his men succeeded in finding proof of Ren's wrong-doing in Snoke's death, he would be done for. No, all Hux needed to do now was make a plan for what to do with Ren when the time came. His Force abilities made it more difficult, but he was still human. A hundred blaster bolts would shatter him as easily as anyone else. He would simply need the element of surprise.

Hux found himself nearly laughing with joy, but quickly composed himself and continued on his way.

Kylo Ren sat bolt upright in bed trying to catch his breath. Another night, another dream. They wouldn't stop.

He threw off the blanket and walked over to the viewport, searching the stars like he did every night. A feeling of longing and sadness was quickly snuffed out by one of anger and resentment. He balled his hand into a fist and looked down at it— the same hand she had touched—- and the same hand she had refused to take. He snarled and turned away from the view.

Why did he keep doing this to himself? Why did she even matter? She was no one. He had even told her that same thing.

'But not to me.' His own words haunted him. Why had he said them? He didn't need her. He was the force-forsaken Supreme Leader of the entire First Order. He didn't need anyone.

But she wouldn't leave him alone. Months had passed since the battle on Crait, and he could still see her face as she stood at the top of the Falcon's boarding ramp looking at him with such disappointment. Not anger. Not hatred or disgust. But disappointment. For a fleeting moment of weakness, he had felt regret. Wanted to run up the ramp and apologize, beg for another chance. He had even been tempted to go with her like she had begged in Snoke's throne room, but that would never work. She might be willing to forgive him, but it was highly unlikely the rest of the Resistance ever would.

'I don't need anyone,' he thought to himself. 'Especially her.' He decided to pour himself a drink. Besides, once he hunted down the few remaining members of the puny Resistance, her included, he could have some peace and enjoy this newfound power he wielded as leader of the First Order. Then he would finally have everything he wanted.

"Would you?"

Kylo spun around at the unexpected voice intruding upon his solitude. His hand instinctively reached out for his lightsaber and it flew into his grasp. The blade hissed to life casting a red glow in the dark room.

"Now, you know that won't work. Remember the last time you tried?"

Kylo grudgingly powered down his saber and tried to keep a rein on his emotions. The last time he had faced his uncle, they had gotten out of control and kept him from seeing what was right in front of him. "Luke," he said with a growl.

"Ben," Luke replied. His blue-tinged image shimmered. "Or should I say… _Supreme_ _Leader_?"

"You're a force ghost," Kylo said.

Luke smiled. "Glad you noticed."

Kylo had only heard about force ghosts from Luke, ironically enough, though he had never actually seen one until now. It intrigued and unsettled him at the same time. "That means you're dead," he added, still trying to tamp down the urge to lash out, knowing it would be pointless.

Luke shrugged. "I prefer to say 'one with the force'."

Luke's flippant demeanor irked Kylo and provoked his response. "Why are you here? You need to leave. Go back to wherever it is good little Jedi go when they die. I don't want you here."

Casually, Luke walked over and sat in a nearby chair taking his time to settle in before replying. "Well, now, that's unfortunate...and totally irrelevant . For some reason,the Force doesn't think you and I are finished yet. So what you do or do not want doesn't really matter."

Kylo didn't move, but stood staring at this new version of his uncle—-the uncle who had tried to kill him claiming he saw irredeemable darkness inside. Would he never be free of him?

"We've made mistakes, you and I," Luke continued. "Pretty big ones, as a matter of fact. I lost hope, and I shouldn't have let that happen. I let Leia down. I let Han down."

Kylo flinched at the mention of his father's name.

"But most of all, I let you down. That was my biggest mistake. My biggest regret. One moment of weakness let the dark side in, and with it came fear and doubt."

"I don't need your apologies," Kylo interrupted angrily. "It's too late. What's done is done. The past doesn't matter."

"Hmmm," Luke pondered. "For someone who says the past doesn't matter, you sure are holding onto it tightly. What about Rey?" Luke asked, switching gears and catching Kylo off guard.

"What?" He exclaimed.

Luke elaborated. "You know—- Rey?—- spunky brunette?—- great fighter?—- stubborn as a gundaark. You know, she was bound and determined to convince me there was still light in must have made quite the impression on her. Guess you turned on some of that Solo charm, eh?"

Kylo knew his uncle was goading him into a reaction, so he tried to regain control of the conversation. "She's nothing. Soon enough I'll find her and the rest of the pathetic rebels and wipe them out. Then I—"

Luke began to chuckle. Kylo glared dangerously. "Ben, admit it," Luke urged. "Here you are, leader of the most powerful organization in the galaxy, and you're still not happy. Not satisfied."

"You have no idea what I'm feeling," Kylo replied angrily.

Luke studied him closely before continuing. "Maybe not, but I do know that as long as you remain so consumed with your own selfishness, you'll never be whole. Never truly content. Being alone is no way to spend your life. That, I do know."

Silence fell between them. Finally, Luke stood up and straightened his glimmering Jedi robes. "It's not too late, Ben," Luke said softly. "I was wrong to give up on you. I know that now. Even my father came back to the light— an important fact you seem to conveniently ignore. The force is giving you another chance. Let it guide you."

And then he disappeared.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4-

"Leia?" Rey asked as she poked her head into General Organa's small makeshift office. Leia looked up from her data pad at the intruder and smiled warmly.

"Rey," she said as she stood from her desk. "Come in," she added with a wave of her hand. She gestured for Rey to join her on the sofa that often served as her bed in these busy times.

Rey wasn't sure how much to share with Leia, but the dreams she had been having over the past several nights compelled her to have this conversation. She looked into the face of Leia Organa, the legendary rebel leader who had been fighting against the dark side in all its iterations for the past forty years or more—- the Empire, the First Order, and even now, her own son. In fact, he was the reason Rey was here.

"What can I do for you?" Leia asked with that same smile Rey had seen many times now, even when she knew Leia had to be beyond exhausted and overwhelmed, but she was always graceful and gracious.

"I don't mean to bother you. I know how busy you are—."

"Stop," Leia interrupted as she placed her hand over Rey's. "You know I always have time for you. Now, what is it? I can sense your unease, so just spill it," she insisted with a grin.

Rey couldn't help but smile back, but then the seriousness of her task sobered her quickly. "Leia, I have some questions." She paused momentarily, gathering her courage. "Questions about your son, Ben." There. She said it— the name of the person who had been haunting her dreams. The one she could not forget. That last look on his face as she closed the door on the Millenium Falcon all those months ago still seemed as fresh in her mind as if it had just happened. She could tell the request unsettled Leia by the nearly imperceptible look of surprise on her face.

"Okay," Leia agreed softly. "Ask away."

Rey inhaled deeply. Best to just say it.

"Do you think there is any hope for Ben to turn back to the light?" Rey asked bluntly.

Leia looked down at their hands and remained silent for a long moment, so long that Rey almost apologized for asking the question in the first place. However, Leia finally spoke.

"Ben was such a quiet boy. Always so serious," she began. "He was always watching, observing, taking it all in. It was hard to tell what he was thinking sometimes. He wasn't one to complain or express his feelings easily." She stopped and took a deep breath before continuing. "I was so determined to create a galaxy where he, along with all of the other children, would never have to fight for peace and freedom. I spent all my time working for it, but in the process I neglected the most important things in my life— my son and my husband." Sorrow filled her brown eyes and she squeezed Rey's hand more tightly. "I lost my balance and, in turn, I lost them both.

"For years I believed Ben would come back," she said with a sad smile. "A mother's hope. But as time marched on, I felt more desperate, like I was truly losing him. When Han—." There she stopped to gather her composure and clear her throat. "When Han died, I started to accept that Ben had finally made his choice. His going to the dark side was something I feared even when I first found out I was pregnant," Leia confessed. "Finding out your father was Darth Vader can do that to a person, you know."

Rey cracked a smile at the older woman's ability to find lightness in a bleak situation.

"But I thought it best to keep that bit of information from Ben and the rest of the galaxy. Another of my mistakes," she finished, sounding regretful.

Rey noticed the tears welling in her eyes and was instantly reminded of another set of eyes so similar. 'Join me. _**Please**_,' he had pleaded as Snoke's throne room burned around them. She had felt his struggle even then, knew he wanted to not be alone. But she couldn't go with him. Not then. Not when he was still planning to wield his power over others. She focused back on Leia who seemed lost in her thoughts.

"What about now?" Rey asked. "Do you have any hope left at all?"

Leia studied the young woman in front of her carefully and curiously. "Why do you ask?" She inquired. "Do _you_ have hope for him?"

The two locked gazes for several seconds, Leia obviously sizing Rey up in her mind. Then Rey simply nodded her head twice.

"Why?" Leia whispered.

Rey sat up straight on the edge of the sofa and grabbed Leia's other hand so that she held onto both. "I've felt it," she stated simply. "Leia, I've felt the good in him. There is still light there, buried deep, but I saw it!" She really wanted Leia to believe her. For some reason, Leia's hope for Ben felt… necessary… essential, if he was to ever come back to the light.

With a look of pity, Leia sighed and then replied, "Rey, I just don't know. After all he's done. I mean he's taken over the First Order. He's tried to kill you, if you'll recall, and he did kill… his father." Leia hung her head defeatedly.

"No!" Rey interrupted forcefully. "I know it's difficult to believe, but I know it's there inside him. He's still conflicted. It's not too late, Leia."

"You don't know how much I want that to be true, but—."

Rey broke in again. "It _**IS**_ true."

Leia narrowed her gaze again. "How do you know, Rey? How can you be so sure?"

It was now or never. She had not told anyone else of her force connection to Ben, but she felt the force wanted Leia to know— if only to keep her mother's hope alive.

Hesitantly, Rey began to explain. "I have a...a bond with him," she said watching the reaction on Leia's face. "There is a force connection between us. We, Ben and I, we can see each other no matter where we are...talk to each other even. It started when I was on Ahch-To with Luke. We were both surprised at first, to say the least. I wasn't exactly thrilled to be talking with the man who tried to kill me on Starkiller Base and who nearly did kill Finn."

"Understandable," Leia commented with a nod.

Rey continued. "But then we started talking. Not much, but enough that I could tell how lonely he is. How alone. And then when we touched—."

"You touched?" Leia interrupted, suddenly very interested in the story. Rey felt her cheeks heat up as she remembered that night in her hut. She had told him about her ordeal in the mirror cave and he had listened intently to every word. He had understood like no one else could.

'You're not alone,' he had said softly. In that moment she had felt the urge to reach out and touch him...to see if he was real, this strange mix of monster and man who knew her innermost feelings. So she had. She reached out across the short distance between them and he did the same— removed his glove and stretched out his hand to make contact. And when they did, it was... explosive. Her breath hitched again just like it did that very night.

"Just our hands," Rey explained sheepishly, "only fingertips, actually."

"Oh, really?" Leia added.

Rey needed to get to the point for her own peace of mind. "Yes, but when we did, that's when I saw it clearly...the light inside him. Luke didn't want to hear it. He swore there was no hope for Ben, but I saw it. That's when I went to him. I thought I could convince him to come back. I was so sure it would work...and it did in a way."

"What way was that?"

"He saved me," Rey replied. "Snoke told Ben to kill me, but he didn't. He killed Snoke instead. Leia," Rey squeezed her hands again. "He begged me to come with him...to leave it all behind. When I didn't, he just looked...sad. He feels so alone. He thinks he has no other choice. Maybe if we could show him that's not true, he would—."

"Would what, Rey?" Leia butted in. "Come home and fight for the Resistance?" She shook her head sadly. "Even if he left the First Order, the Resistance would never accept him, never trust him. They would be likely to execute him on sight, and I would be powerless to stop it. He's so far gone, Rey. I just don't know."

Tears were welling in both women's eyes. "No, Leia," Rey pleaded desperately. "You can't give up on him! I know it seems hopeless, but please, don't lose all hope. Please!" She reached out and pulled Leia into a tight embrace, holding on as if her life depended on it. Luckily, Leia hugged back. Rey had experienced very few moments like this in her life, moments of true affection, and she didn't want to let go. It seemed as though Leia didn't either because it was a long while before they both began to ease up and pull away. However, Leia did not relinquish Rey's hands just yet.

"You care about him," Leia said softly.

"I do," Rey replied looking into Leia's eyes, willing her to hope again. A tear slipped down Leia's face.

"Well, then," she sniffed. "If someone like you can still find the good in my son, then there is still hope for him."

Rey exhaled a sigh of relief and a smile. "Thank you."

"It's you I should be thanking. Although I'm not sure what either of us can do about it in our current situation." A sudden thought crossed Leia's mind. "Are you still able to communicate with him through your...force bond?"

"I haven't since Crait. That was the last time. Snoke claimed he created it, but Crait was after he died. So maybe we still could. I've been reading about it in the Jedi books I…'borrowed' from Luke, but I haven't tried it out yet."

Leia shook her head in contemplation, clearly devising some plan in her brilliant mind. Finally, she said, "Let's keep this between us for now. I don't want anyone getting the wrong idea."

"Wrong idea?" Rey questioned.

Leia chuckled. "We don't want them thinking you're collaborating with the enemy. That could get a little dicey."

"Oh!," Rey realized the danger if knowledge of her connection to Ben fell into the wrong hands. "Okay."

"Let me know if you have any more force 'calls'. I need time to think about all of this."

Rey nodded her head in agreement and then rose to leave. Leia looked up at her with a small smile.

"Hope," she said. "Something I've needed more of for a while now. Thank you, Rey."

Rey left feeling like the force was satisfied. Hope was spreading.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5-Recruitment

"It worked!"

Leia and Poe looked up from the datapads and holomaps spread out in front of them as Finn barged into their small command room, a huge smile on his face.

"The encrypted messages we sent out," he started to explain, "we finally got a response." His enthusiasm was contagious. "On Bonterra. Remember, we were there a while back. The First Order apparently showed up looking for us and left a regiment behind to keep the locals in line. I guess they didn't take too kindly to the Bonterrans helping us out."

Leia was somewhat surprised. They had put Finn's plan into action months ago, but up until now had not received any replies. She was starting to think this plan of Finn's to recruit deserters from inside the First Order was destined to fail despite how much she wanted to think that there were still more good people than bad out there in the universe. "Go on," she urged. "Any more details?"

"At least fifty, if not more, want to defect. The contact said the things the Order is doing to people on these planets they are taking over…," he paused and looked away. "They want out."

After a brief moment of silent contemplation, Poe voiced the question in all three of their minds. "Can we trust them?"

"Do we have a choice?" Leia answered. "We need all the help we can get. But we should be cautious." She stopped for a moment and the two men knew she was devising a plan of action. "Set up a meeting. Take Rey and Rose with you, too. If they're serious, we need to know and we need to put them to good use."

Finn nodded in agreement, then turned to go find Rose and Rey.

"Are you sure about this?" Poe asked. "I'm still not sure this is such a good idea. Heading right back into First Order territory _**hoping**_ this lead is solid?"

Leia eased carefully into her chair, the nagging pain she had been feeling lately causing her to tire more easily and more quickly than before. She glanced up at Poe with with a small smile. "I'm not sure of much at all anymore, Poe, except that we have to do anything we can to fight against this darkness. I've been doing it for so long now that I don't know any other way. Go with them, but be careful."

Poe noticed Leia sagging in her seat. He could tell she was working herself way past the point of exhaustion, but he knew she would never stop. It was one of the things he admired most about her, among many others. He trusted her judgment better than his own when it came to matters like this, so he would go and do his best to bring back more fighters for the Resistance- for Leia.

"Try and get some rest," he suggested.

She chuckled. "I'll rest when we've won."

Supreme Leader Kylo Ren walked down the gangplank of his transport ship and stopped at the bottom to survey the group of First Order officers and Bonterran officials awaiting his arrival. He was there to solidify the planet's dedication to him and the Order. They had taken control of Bonterra not long after word of the Resistance using it as a hide out reached his command. Traitors who were found to have assisted the Resistance were swiftly dealt with, and the new planet administration was proving much more amenable to First Order interests. He found that making a personal appearance usually ended in desired results.

The First Order commander stepped forward and saluted.

"Supreme Leader, this is Governor Ritorro." Kylo looked at the Commander as he introduced a short, nondescript Bonterran male who quickly bowed in obeisance. Kylo sneered in contempt beneath his mask. Apparently, this governor knew about Kylo's limited patience with disobedient planet leadership. Good. It would save them time.

"Governor," Kylo said in his deep booming voice. "I understand you have dealt with your citizens who offered aid to the Resistance."

"Yes, yes, Supreme Leader," Ritorro groveled. The man didn't know whether to look directly at Kylo or away, so he kept shifting his gaze revealing his fear. Kylo could practically smell it on him. He hated dealing with these weak-minded fools. No wonder the First Order had spread so easily across the galaxy with leaders like this.

"What else can I do for you, Supreme Leader?" Ritorro questioned. "Your presence here is a pleasure, for sure, but unexpected, nonetheless."

Kylo took a few silent moments to glare at the man, although he could not see Kylo's face. When the man started fidgeting in unease, Kylo decided to reply. "General Hux informs me that Bonterra has offered us something of great value. I decided to come find out what this deal involves."

"Yes, yes," Ritorro bowed repeatedly. "We will tour the facilities and then finalize details in our city headquarters afterward. Please, follow me."

Governor Ritorro turned to go and Kylo, along with his retinue of troopers marching militantly behind him, followed, black cape flowing, completing the menacing appearance he tried to maintain in any public situation.

As they boarded a transport speeder, Kylo barely even noticed the surroundings of the Bonterran capital city. He did not even remember its name, to be quite honest. In the past several months, he had visited so many systems and planets that they were all starting to look the same. Just another world full of people to fall under the sway of the First Order and him, the Supreme Leader of it all. Again that nagging thought popped into his head. _**All of this- and you're still alone**_**.**

He shook it off. He refused to succumb to the hollowness it brought, and instead tried to focus on the truth that he had achieved the ultimate position of power in the galaxy. What exactly would he do with all of this power?

His mother's face suddenly flashed in his mind and took him by surprise. He jerked in his seat, hoping no one noticed and glad for the reforged mask he wore to hide the shocked expression that was surely on his face. Why did he think of her at that moment? He tried not to think of her at all, truth be told. It hurt too much to think of her because his heart would start to yearn for something long gone...something the Supreme Leader of the First Order would not and should not want.

To belong.

"I have a bad feeling about this."

Rey, Poe, and Finn all three turned from the viewscreen of their shuttle to look at Rose Tico. The young Resistance fighter grimaced in blatant uncertainty about their current mission.

"It just doesn't seem like such a good idea to be going to a planet that just so happens to have a First Order Star Destroyer parked in its orbit. Can't we... reschedule?" she asked hopefully.

Finn shook his head as he took a few steps towards her to offer a reassuring arm around her shoulders. "It's going to be fine. And my contact has a limited window to meet. There is supposedly some big meeting with the visiting First Order commander. While everyone else is focused on that, he can slip away without drawing too much attention. It'll be fine," he repeated, almost as if to convince himself as much as her.

Rey offered a supportive grin while Poe busily checked and rechecked their communications equipment. He handed each of them a small comm link that fit inside their ears. They checked the volume on each and prepared the shuttle to land. The code their contact sent them had worked so far, clearing the way for them in a hangar outside of the capital city. Poe put the craft neatly in its docking bay, and they went over the mission plans one last time.

"Everybody has your comm link and your blasters, right?" Poe asked. Rey patted the blaster at her side and then checked to see that her lightsaber was securely attached to her belt. Finn and Rose nodded their readiness and the four took off to locate a speeder.

Rey never got tired of seeing new planets. After spending her whole life, at least all she could remember, on Jakku, traveling to so many different kinds of worlds amazed her, and she tried to take it all in. This world had appeared a mixture of mostly green and blue from orbit, which she now knew meant it likely had plenty of forests and water. These were her favorite kind of planets. One day she hoped to have time to explore and really enjoy the nature of some of these places. Right now, she should be focusing on their mission.

They easily found a speeder for rent. Finn paid the fee and then they were off toward the city. It was essential that they be alert and prepared for anything. Finn seemed so sure that eventually plenty of Stormtroopers would receive their message and be willing to join the Resistance. Poe was less sure, Rose was supportive of Finn's enthusiasm, and Rey just kept hoping something would happen to turn the tide in their favor. When she thought of how long Leia had been fighting this same fight, for an instant she felt despair. Then Leia's kind smile and spirit of strength would help ease her worries.

It was becoming commonplace for Rey to think of Leia in times like these. She liked to think that her own mother would have been like Leia, despite what her own memories would have her believe. And she wondered how Ben, Kylo, she didn't know what to call him anymore, could ever betray a mother like Leia. Or a father like Han. Belonging to a family was such a gift, and he just threw it away.

She shook her head as if shaking thoughts of him out of her mind. She knew that somewhere locked down deep within Kylo Ren were the remnants of Ben Solo, a kindred spirit who wanted what she wanted. To belong. But he was afraid...afraid of being rejected. That much she had gleaned from their previous Force bonds and his attempted mind probe way back on Starkiller Base all those months ago. For all of the tough exterior, Rey knew Ben's future could hold the belonging he desired if he would but let go of the darkness and come back to the light. But he kept fighting it, and until he decided to change, the dark would dominate his path.

"_Ben_," she whispered longingly under her breath with a sigh.

"_Ben."_

Kylo Ren startled again for the second time in minutes. He looked around to see if anyone else had noticed his surprise, relieved to see no one seemed to be paying him any attention. He inhaled deeply and tried to expel the face that flashed in his mind...Rey. Why did he keep thinking of her? He wanted to be angry and let the hate flow through him. But he couldn't. The vision of her standing in Snoke's throne room whispering his name with tears in her eyes caused a churning in his gut, and he hated himself for being weak.

"Supreme Leader?"

Kylo jerked back to his senses and looked at the officer sitting across from him.

"We're here, sir," the man announced.

,

Kylo nodded silently and stood to exit the transport speeder. Governor Ritorro was right behind him, unsure of whether to walk beside him as he started to explain.

"Supreme Leader," he started, "this is our main processing facility for recruiting. The future of the First Order lies within these walls, my lord." They approached a rather large nondescript building with an entrance surrounded by security forces from both Bonterra and the First Order. Across the street and behind fences was a crowd of Bonterran civilians, some of them crying and shouting things Kylo could not quite make out. He and his followers made their way up the steps to the building's entrance where General Hux was waiting to greet them, having orchestrated this arrangement as part of his Stormtrooper program.

"What are those people doing?" Kylo asked.

Governor Ritorro hesitated before responding, "They are protesting, my lord. If you like, I will have my forces get rid of them. Unfortunately, they keep showing up day after day."

Kylo shook his head. "No matter. Show me why I'm here."

"Very well then," Ritorro replied as he walked ahead to lead the way.

Hux pulled up right behind Kylo. "I think you'll like this, Supreme Leader. In a very short time, Bonterra has managed to create a highly efficient and productive system for adding to our forces."

They walked through a guarded lobby and down a long hallway with doors on each side. Once at the end of the corridor, they entered through a set of doors that swished open when the governor punched in a code. The scene on the other side took Kylo by surprise and he halted abruptly. It was one giant warehouse-like room, so massive he couldn't even see the other side. It was sectioned off by more fences, creating many separate areas, and in each enclosure were...children. He looked all around. One section held some who were no more than ten or eleven, while others held those who were even younger. Behind every fence he could see and hear their cries of desperation, yelling out for their parents, fear showing in their frightened little faces.

"_Mom, I don't want to go!"_

"_Ben, sweetheart," Leia said, bending down to look him in the eyes, "it's going to be okay. Your Uncle Luke is going to take great care of you. You'll get to train to be a real Jedi. You'll like that, won't you?"_

_Tears rolled down his cheeks and his bottom lip quivered. "__**You**_ _can teach me to be a Jedi," he insisted. "And I want to go fly with Dad and Chewie. Uncle Luke lives so far away. I won't get to see you very much. Can't I just stay? Please? I promise I'll be good. I promise. Please, Mom? Please?"_

Kylo felt his throat tighten at the memory, again grateful for his mask to hide his roiling emotions he desperately tamped down. Seeing all these children had affected him very unexpectedly.

"

"So the people outside protesting are the parents?" he finally asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes, Supreme Leader," Governor Ritorro answered.

Hux seemed to notice Kylo's reticence about the scene before them. "How exactly did you think we got the children for our Stormtrooper program, Supreme Leader?" he questioned smugly. "Did you think that parents voluntarily donated their children to our service? Most of these primitive planetary locals hold their offspring in high esteem and don't always understand what a privilege it is to serve in the glorious First Order."

Kylo thought of closing off Hux's windpipe for just a moment to get him to shut up. The man was so enmeshed in his own self-worth that his distaste for everyone else oozed out of his every pore. Even his words dripped with loathing for anyone who wasn't him. Given the chance, Kylo knew he would gladly stab him in the back without a moment's hesitation. He really couldn't stand Armitage Hux and looked forward to the day he would no longer need his services.

Hux was apparently waiting for a response, staring back at Kylo's masked face. Kylo rolled his eyes in disgust and started to reply and put this dog back in his place. "General Hux, your-"

Kylo broke off in mid-sentence and looked away as if searching for something or someone. Hux glanced around to see what had caught Kylo's attention, but saw nothing. He caught the eye of the governor and they both looked as if to say, "I don't know either." Kylo spun around in every direction before stopping and glancing off into space.

"She's here," he whispered.

"Excuse me, Supreme Leader?" Hux replied in confusion.

Kylo snapped his head back around to look at Hux. "Finish up here. I'll meet you back here later." And with that, he spun on his heels and stalked off down the hallway, black cape flowing behind in his wake.

Governor Ritorro looked confused. "Is he all right?" he asked Hux.

Hux looked back at him. "That is the question." As he turned and saw Kylo vanish out of sight down the corridor, he felt himself smile. The more Kylo Ren showed his instability to other people, the easier it would be when the time came to finally get rid of him.

Hux couldn't wait.

Rey stood as look-out while Poe, Finn and Rose discussed matters of importance with their new First Order contact- FN7264. However, he preferred to be called Slim. Rey chuckled when he informed them of this as he was anything but. He was not even as tall as she was and was nothing but stocky, solid muscle from head to toe.

He explained his name adoption with a grin. "Yeah, when word got around about what Finn here had done, some of me and my buddies decided to chuck our numbers and name ourselves. Call mine 'wishful thinking'," he said with a wink at Rey and Rose. The two smiled and then Rey returned to watch out the window of the abandoned building in which they were meeting. As they neared the city center, more and more First Order troopers could be seen patrolling the streets. She instinctively pulled her hood further onto her head even though she was well out of sight. In the distance she could just make out a large building that stood in contrast to the other smaller structures that seemed to line most of the streets. She also noticed a crowd of people clustered together near the same area and wondered what was going on.

"So how many of you guys are there?" Poe asked, ready to take notes on his small datapad.

Slim settled onto a nearby up-turned crate. "About fifty for now, but I think more will come on board once they know they're

not alone. After you see what they're doing to the people on these planets…," he drifted off. No one else knew quite what to say. "Let's just say, it brings back some not so great memories for a lot of us."

Finn nodded in understanding, but offered no hollow words. As Rey was half-listening to their conversation and squinting to see more of what was happening down the street, a wave of despair washed over her and caused her to stumble back. She spun around to Slim. "What is that place?" she demanded. "That big building in the distance?"

Slim looked down at his boots and then back up at her to answer. "That is the Recruitment Center."

Finn jerked his attention immediately to the window to see for himself, and then glanced back at Slim with unspoken understanding. However, Rey was not as well-versed on these 'recruitment' procedures as the others.

"For Stormtroopers?" she asked softly. "Why do I get such a horrible feeling from it?"

Most people in the Resistance already knew the details about General Hux's grand Stormtrooper program and how it involved taking young children and forcing them to become part of the First Order whether their families agreed or not. But apparently Rey did not know all of the details.

Finally Slim explained. "It's where they take the kids to be...processed."

Finn offered more. "When the First Order takes over a planet, they take most of the children from their families to ensure their 'loyalty', and train them to be Stormtroopers- just like what happened to me," he clarified. Rose had sidled up close to Finn and slid her hand into his for support.

"Me too," Slim added softly.

Rey felt her heart break and her anger swell as tears pooled in her eyes. "How many?" she asked. "How many kids are in that building right now?"

Slim reluctantly replied, "A lot. Hundreds at least, maybe more. Every day more arrive from the outlying areas."

"And that's why all those people are gathered down there, isn't it?" she continued. "Because their children were ripped away from them?" Slim nodded.

"What happens if the parents refuse or fight back?" Rose asked, already knowing the answer.

"Rose," Poe interjected, "I think we all know what the First Order does to anyone who gets in its way."

Rey was trying desperately to digest the knowledge that just a block away were children being taken away from families that wanted them...that Kylo would be okay with this whole cruel procedure after all he had been through. It didn't make sense.

"That's awful!" Rose exclaimed, throwing Finn's hand off. "We need to do something! Go help them get their kids back!"

Finn grabbed her hand again to rein her in. "Rose, there's nothing we can do about it. At least not right now. If we tried with just the few of us, we might make it worse for the people. I wouldn't want them taking the brunt of the First Order's retaliation because of something we do. But this is why we are here- to get help from those on the inside, like Slim. Then we can really make a change."

"This is one of the main reasons so many of us are deciding we don't want to be a part of the Order anymore. Seeing these kids crying for their moms and dads...knowing what kind of life lies ahead-," he broke off and cleared his throat. "It's just not right."

"One more reason to hate Kylo Ren," Poe muttered with a snarl.

Rey shot a glance at Poe and then quickly looked away to hide her confusion. She just couldn't comprehend how Kylo- no...Ben because that is how she would make herself think of him from now on- how the man who had touched her hand so tenderly in the hut and pleaded with her to join him in the throne room could knowingly be part of this vile system. She had seen his memories...knew how he was sent away by his parents to Luke despite his wish to stay with Han and Leia. Why would he put countless other children through this same awful experience?

Her emotions were in total disarray. Had his pain pushed him past the point of no return? Was the future she saw for him still in play? In truth, it had been several months since she last saw him on Crait after the First Order's attempt to destroy the remains of the Resistance. But that last look he had given her was not one of hatred and anger. On the one hand, she still felt pity for him. But on the other, her anger with him for what he was allowing to happen inside that building was starting to grow.

"Oh, Ben, what have you done?" she whispered to herself.

Then she felt it. His presence...here… on this very planet. "I have to go," she suddenly announced heading for the door.

"What do you mean you have to go?" Rose demanded. "You can't go out there by yourself!"

"Rey," Finn added, "there are too many First Order troopers out there right now. It's too dangerous. And you can't save all of those kids by yourself. We'll come back with more help later."

She looked back at them and smiled reassuringly. "I'll be fine," she stated calmly. "I'll meet you back at the ship at our scheduled time for take off. I just have something I need to take care of before we leave."

She secured her hood, checked her saber and blaster and opened the door. "Be careful," Rose said, trying not to worry about her friend. Rey turned, nodded, and left.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6-

Rey started her journey towards the building in the distance. She was not sure what she would do once she got there, but felt herself drawn to it knowing somehow that he was there waiting for her. It would no doubt be safer to turn back and get off-world as soon as possible, but she had to see him face to face- demand he explain the pain he was inflicting upon countless others through his quest for power and control. Maybe she needed to judge for herself whether he was completely beyond redemption. If so, she could stop thinking of him- stop holding out hope and just get on with the business of defeating his horrible empire.

As she walked, she noticed the downtrodden expressions on the faces of the few people brave enough to be out on the streets. They shrunk into the shadows whenever Stormtroopers passed by. If she felt any undue attention on herself, she quickly used the Force to deflect it away.

The crowd was straight ahead. She could hear their shouts and pleas for their children. Her heart tightened with the feel of their despair. It was almost unbearable. Instead of plunging into the throng of bodies, she noticed a side street that was unoccupied and went off in that direction. Reaching out with the Force, she searched.

And there he was.

Kylo felt her before he saw her. In fact, he had sensed her while back inside the Recruitment Center- knew he had to see her though he wasn't sure why. She should be the last person he wanted to see. Her rejection still stung too deeply. He had opened himself up to her...allowed himself to be vulnerable and let the tiniest bit of hope seap inside, only to be cruelly betrayed. Well, he would not make that mistake again. Maybe he would just kill her here and now to end this pain.

But then she appeared at the end of the street and he froze. His saber was in his hand hanging at this side, but it wasn't switched on. She had a hood on her head, so he couldn't make out her face clearly yet, but he knew what she looked like well enough. Hers was a face he had seen way too often in his mind and dreams- beauty and betrayal wrapped up in one tempting package.

"_Girls ain't nothing but trouble, kid." _The words took him by surprise. Han had spoken them many years ago when Ben's ten-year old self was upset that a girl in his class wouldn't talk to him. He shook his head slightly to get rid of the unbidden memory. Now was not the time for sentimentality.

When Rey drew close enough, she stopped and pulled her saber off of its clip. She did not turn it on, but had it ready if need be, not sure what to expect after all this time. They stood there staring at one another in silence until she finally spoke, feeling oddly emboldened.

"You're wearing your helmet again, I see," she stated, catching him off guard. "Hiding...like a coward behind a mask."

Kylo flinched at her brazen taunt, but quickly regained his composure before calmly lifting his helmet off his head to reveal his distinctive face. His jaw was clenched tight as he stared at her without saying a word. What should he say? So many different possibilities sped through his mind matching the mixture of emotions he was trying desperately not to feel.

"I should kill you where you stand," he finally blurted out.

Rey blinked and then scoffed at his bravado. "You could try," she replied, pushing the hood back off her head.

Kylo took a step forward and noticed she watched him carefully, probably debating whether to stand her ground or run. He studied her for a moment, trying to unnerve her as much as she had unnerved him. "Why are you here?" he said, taking another step.

"I know what's happening inside that building," she declared, still managing to catch him off-guard. "Why those people are shouting and crying in the street."

There was that look in her eyes again. Always so passionate. He needed to focus.

"What?" he spat out, knowing full well what she was referring to.

"Children!" she replied angrily. "You're taking children from their parents, forcing them to fight for your awful army. How could you?!" She was clearly struggling to control her emotions as was he. However, while she was obviously livid, he felt oddly...ashamed.

Seeing all of those kids locked behind gates, crying, afraid, had affected him...more than he'd care to admit. Hux was the one in charge of this program. Kylo had never really paid much attention to it before and had certainly never taken the time to visit one in person. Honestly, he was not sure why he came this time. Could the Force have known she would be here? He shook it off.

"It's war," answered curtly, trying to sound nonchalant. "We need soldiers. But why are _**you**_ here? " he asked again.

She looked at him in disbelief. "I thought you could change. I thought you were changing when you killed Snoke. You could have stopped this war."

"You could have joined me and made it happen."

Rey's eyes flashed away in uncertainty. For just a moment, she considered his words. _**Could**_ she have stopped all of this by taking his hand there in that throne room? But then she looked back at his face and knew he was trying to deflect any blame from himself. She would not let that happen. Two could play this game.

"Perhaps I would have taken your hand if it had been offered by Ben Solo and not Kylo Ren," she replied, jutting her chin up in the air for emphasis. By the look on his face, her parry hit the mark.

He huffed. "Ben Solo doesn't exist anymore. He was weak and worthless." It was the mantra he repeated over and over to make himself believe it. Snoke had told him the same thing for years- broken him down only to remake him into Kylo Ren. For just a few brief moments with Rey, he had felt a tiny spark of light creep into his dark, lonely existence. But that was quickly snuffed out when she left him and he was again alone. It was better that way.

"That's not what Leia thinks," Rey replied. Kylo was immediately blindsided by the mention of his mother, and could feel his lower lip trembling with emotion as he struggled to maintain his composure.

"My mother sent me away," he snarled, "when all I wanted was to stay with her." As soon as the words left his lips, he regretted them. They revealed too much.

There it was, Rey realized. That pain that he held onto so tightly. If he could just let it go. She took another step closer and continued. "And yet you're doing the same to those children inside that building. Separating them forever from their parents. Ben," she said softly, moving closer, "you don't have to do this. You know it's not right."

Her words were muddling his mind. He tried to call on the Dark Side to help him resist the lure of hope she offered, but ever since Snoke's death, it was getting more difficult to do so. She took yet another step, placing her within arm's reach. So close that he could touch her if he wanted. The sound of his saber igniting surprised even him and she reared back. He had apparently switched it on without intending to, but raised it between them. He could not let her get too close.

"You had your chance," he said, the red blade illuminating his stern face as he grasped it tightly for protection. Rey studied him closely, making him even more uncomfortable and defensive, so he went on. "Now you and the Resistance will be obliterated and the First Order will-"

"You're wrong," she interrupted. He blinked twice. Every time he thought he'd gained the upper hand, she shot right back. "Hope is spreading. People are getting tired of your Order. They're starting to fight back. It's only a matter of time." She paused and gauged his response before continuing her onslaught. "Ben," she pleaded in a whisper, "it's not too late. You could make all the difference. Your power...you could use it for good...to help people. Come with me," she offered stretching out her hand.

He looked in her eyes, down at her hand, and back to her face. "It's too late," he stated simply.

At that moment, screams erupted behind her. They both turned to see what was happening and saw a crowd of people frantically running towards them. Blaster bolts could be heard and their flashes lit up the early evening sky. Something had caused the guards to start firing into the gathered mass. Rey took that as her cue to leave and spun to dive into the stream of frightened faces going in the opposite direction. Kylo tried to peer over the crowd and keep her in his sights, but it was too chaotic. Of course, he could have cut the passersby down with his saber to clear his path, but he knew he wouldn't. And if he was even able to catch her, what then? What would he do? He could lie to himself and say he would strike her down, but after seeing her again, he knew he never would. Angry with his weakness for her, he pushed through the crowd and stormed back toward the Recruitment Center.

_High above the crowd, unseen by the Supreme Leader of the First Order, hovered a small, spherical spy droid. It was zeroed in on its intended target- the tall, imposing form dressed all in black who crammed his helmet back on his head as he retreated._

Kylo re-entered the building ready to be done with this place, his mind still full of her and her traitorous words. He was making a concerted effort to stoke the embers of his anger. It usually made it easier to connect with the power of the Dark Side, but again he had no success. Stormtroopers guarding the doors quickly moved aside to let him pass without any obstacles in his way, sensing his dark mood. All of the First Order knew of Kylo Ren's unbelievable powers and his equally unbelievable temper.

As soon as he reached the doors to the holding area, he stopped. Memories of his own tearful departure from his mother and father came flooding back along with Rey's words from moments before.

"_**Ben, you don't have to do this. You know it's not right."**_

His jaw clenched tightly under his mask, and he took several deep breaths, trying one last time to call on the Dark Side. Snoke's voice had always chimed in to influence his thoughts in situations where he was tempted by the light. But now, only his own thoughts were there. He was truly free to make his own decisions, no longer a slave to anyone- except himself.

He waved his hand and the doors swished open. Instantly he heard them- the children still crying and whimpering. A quick survey of the large room and he saw their tear-stained, frightened faces. A sudden taste of bile surged up in his throat. He jerked his attention to the nearest Stormtrooper. "Who's in charge here?" he demanded.

The trooper was startled by Kylo's sudden request. "That would be Lieutenant Meeko, sir. I mean, Supreme Leader, sir."

"Go get her..._**now**_."

The trooper scurried off, leaving Kylo alone with his thoughts once again. He was starting to get tired of his own company.

"_Mommy," he said, holding up the empty box, "he's gone." Leia looked away from her datapad to find him sitting on the floor with the box they had been using to hold the Grimbor Han brought his son as a souvenir from his last mission. The Grimbor was a small, furry, four-legged creature Ben had named 'Lil Chewie'. Leia squatted down to her son's level._

"_Well, what happened to him, baby? Did he get loose?" she said starting to look around the room._

_Ben tugged on her sleeve. "No, Mommy. I let him go. He didn't like being stuck in that box," he had replied sincerely. _

_Leia smiled and kissed his head. "My sweet boy," she said lovingly._

Kylo's heart and throat tightened. Why had he thought of that now in the midst of all of this? Then he looked around and knew why.

"Supreme Leader, sir," the Lieutenant said as she approached. "You wanted to see me? How may I be of service?" The woman gave a quick bow of deference.

The words were out of his mouth before he even realized it. "I want you to release these…'recruits'," he stumbled over the word.

"Excuse me, sir?" Lieutenant Meeko stuttered. "Release them? All of them? Sir, we've already processed this batch-"

"Did I not make myself clear, Lieutenant?" Kylo exclaimed, willing himself to appear as menacing as possible.

"No, sir, I mean, yes, sir. May I ask why?"

"No," Kylo answered curtly. "Just do it."

The woman still looked uncertain, but nodded and turned to relay the order to the other Stormtroopers. Kylo could tell the moment each of them received the strange order by the way their heads jerked to glance at him in astonishment. In moments, the first holding area was being unlocked. The children inside, Kylo guessed seven or eight-years old, were obviously scared when the troopers first started ushering them out. He heard one little girl ask, "Where are you taking us?' her tiny voice quavering.

"Nowhere," the trooper replied. "We're letting you go."

Word spread quickly and so did excitement and hope. He saw it on their faces as they began to pass him on their way out into the hallway. When the same little girl neared where Kylo stood, she whispered to the boy next to her, "That's him. He made them let us go. They were going to keep us until he showed up." The boy was not so sure.

"I don't know. I think he might be a bad guy," he replied innocently.

"No," the girl said with certainty. "He just looks that way."

Kylo felt the edges of his mouth curve upward ever so slightly. Was he about to smile? He forced himself to frown and tamp down the light.

"What is going on here?!" Hux declared as he stormed into the room, followed closely by a sputtering Governor Ritorro.

"Why are these children leaving?! We just signed a deal! General, I demand that you-"

Hux ignored him and stomped over to face Kylo, his face turning an interesting shade of red. "What are you doing?! Those are new recruits for my Stormtrooper program!" He turned to the nearest trooper and ordered, "Put them back! All of them!"

The Stormtrooper paused and looked to Kylo for confirmation. Kylo shook his head, and the trooper turned to continue ushering the children away.

"What?!" Hux screamed at the trooper's back. "How dare you disobey my order! I'll see you pay for this, you worthless-"

"General Hux," Kylo broke in calmly. "I've decided we've no need of these recruits."

"You've decided?!" Hux sputtered. "_**You**_ decided?!"

"Yes, I did. We have plenty of troopers for now. Besides, you yourself keep telling me that the Resistance is dead and no threat to us. So then we have no need of extending our valuable resources for unnecessary additions."

Hux's nostrils flared violently, and if looks could kill, Kylo knew he would be dead. "Supreme Leader," he said through gritted teeth, "we have already made the deal with the Governor."

"Yes, yes," Ritorro added worriedly. "If you return the children to their parents now, it will make it difficult for me to maintain control of the planet. They will likely rise up, feeling empowered by this reckless move."

Kylo glared down at the small man, causing him to shrink even further. "That's your problem." He turned his attention back to Hux. "We're done here, " he stated and spun to leave.

"You can't do this!" Hux yelled after him. "It's a betrayal of the First Order and unaccepta-"

He immediately stopped mid-sentence and flew across the distance to end up dangling inches above the floor being held aloft by Kylo Ren's large hand around his throat.

"I can do whatever I want, General Hux," Kylo stated low and clear. "_**I'm**_ the Supreme Leader."

Knowing he had made his point, he flung Hux into the wall and stormed off heading out of the building.

A humiliated Hux gasped for air and felt his anger and hatred explode as more children passed by. He couldn't stand to take Kylo Ren's condescension and incompetence as a leader for much longer.

Just then one of his personal officers arrived on the scene. "General," the man said with a gleam in his eye. "I think you're going to want to see this." Hux glanced down at the man's outstretched hand and the small droid it held. The two made eye contact and Hux's mood began to change.

"Show me."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7-

Rey made it back to the shuttle just as they were preparing to take off. Rose, Finn and Poe all looked relieved to see her run up the boarding ramp into the transport.

"We were starting to wonder if we should send out a search party," Finn announced jokingly when she was finally on board. However, his voice betrayed the real concern evident underneath. Rey loved that about him- how much he cared about his friends.

"For the record, _**I**_ wasn't worried at all," Rose countered. "I know you can take care of yourself just fine," she added with a smile at her friend.

Rey smiled back and settled in as they lifted off and started the journey back to headquarters. She was trying to act as if nothing world-shattering had just happened...like facing Kylo Ren for the first time in months. Truth be told, she could hardly believe all the things she dared say to him face to face. From past experience, she knew his conflicted emotions could make him very unpredictable. However, for reasons she was not quite prepared to investigate further at this moment, she never truly felt in danger from him when they were together. The mention of Leia had caused a crack in his armored emotional facade, she recalled. It was obvious how he still fought against the pull of the Light, and his mother was a very vulnerable soft spot. When was the last time the two had interacted? She wondered. And how heartbreaking it must have been for both mother and son.

An even bigger question though was why did Rey herself even care? Why was she so invested in his fate and whether he made amends with his only remaining family member? What hope was there for someone like him anyway? Was she just wasting her time? All this and more swirled through her mind as they flew on.

"Never give up hope, no matter how dark things seem."

Rey snapped out of her introspection at the words from Rose. "What?" Rey said, surprised to hear her friend say something so on target with her unspoken thoughts.

Rose sat down next to Rey on the bench. "My mom used to say that to Paige and me when times got hard on our home world because of the First Order. Then when we both joined up with the Resistance, we would say it all the time to keep us going." She gazed off as if remembering a particular instance. "She said it to me right before she took off on her final bombing run. That was the last time I saw her." Rose's voice drifted off to silence.

Rey grabbed her friend's hand and then pulled her into an embrace. Having lived most of her life alone without much positive affection, she was finding a simple, heartfelt hug to be beneficial for both people involved. "I'm so sorry, Rose," she offered comfortingly, feeling Rose's arms go around her and squeeze tightly before letting go. "Strangely enough though, I needed to hear that."

Rose nodded and sniffed. "Glad I could help. So where did you run off to back there?"

A series of beeps alerted them to an incoming transmission. Poe answered the call. It was Slim, their new First Order contact already. "That was quick. What do you got for us, buddy?" Poe asked, voicing the surprise they all felt considering they had left his company less than an hour before. Finn looked worried. Surely this was not a good sign.

"Just thought you'd all like to know that all of the kids from the Recruitment Center have been returned to their families," Slim announced. They could hear the smile in his voice.

"What?!" Finn exclaimed, jumping out of the co-pilot seat. Rey and Rose looked at each other in disbelief.

"How? What happened?" Poe questioned.

"Well, one of my buddies who was assigned to duty in the holding area got the sudden order to just release them all," he explained.

"Just like that?" Finn added.

"Just like that," Slim verified. "And that's not the craziest part. You'll never guess who gave the order to do it." He paused dramatically giving them the opportunity to ponder before revealing more. **_"Kylo Ren._** The Supreme Leader himself!"

"Kylo Ren?!" Finn, Rose, and Poe all exclaimed simultaneously.

Rey simply whispered, "Ben."

A sudden realization dawned on Poe. "You mean Ren was on-planet at the same time we were?"

"Yeah," explained Slim, "it was a surprise visit. No one knew he was coming ahead of time. Word is he changed his plans at the last minute."

The four were looking incredulously at each other until Poe realized their precarious position. He turned to lookout the view port. "That means that Star Destroyer is his. We need to get out of here. I don't want to take any chances."

"I agree," said Finn sitting back down in the co-pilot's seat. "I'll punch in the hyperspace coordinates now. As soon as we're past that ship, we'll make our jump. Everybody get ready."

While the men hurriedly executed all necessary navigational duties, Rose was carefully watching Rey who was staring down at her lap as if in a trance. She didn't seem quite as shocked as the rest of them that the First Order leader had been so near their own location.

Finally Rey glanced up, but did not look at Rose. Instead, she was gazing out the viewport at the imposing Star Destroyer filling up their screen. "He let them go" she stated quietly. "I can't believe it."

Rose got the feeling Rey wasn't really talking to her. Over the past few months of getting to know Rey, she knew her friend often became quietly introspective, deeply enmeshed in thoughts that she kept to herself. Rose assumed it was because of Rey spending so many years alone with no one to really talk to. She was learning when to leave her alone and when to draw her out.

"Hey," Rose said, diverting Rey from her private thoughts. "You never answered my question before. Where did you run off to back on Bonterra? Did you have anything to do with those kids getting released? Some kind of Force action or something?"

Rey looked over at Rose, finally realizing she was talking to her. "No. No Force action," she answered with a small smile. "I didn't even make it to the building, actually. There was a big crowd of people gathered down there," she started to explain and then paused to look away again. "It got a little... out of control, so I turned around and came back."

Rose instinctively felt there was more to this story, but had the feeling Rey didn't want to talk anymore about it for the time being. "What do you think made Kylo Ren change his mind and let those kids go?"

Rey looked suddenly...guilty and Rose noticed her face blush red. "I-I don't know."

Rose kept watching Rey and knew her instincts were right. "Well, whatever it was, I'm glad he did it. I hated leaving them all behind like that."

"Me too," Rey responded.

"You two ready to jump?" Poe yelled back over his shoulder. "Here we go!"

Rey took one last look out the viewport at his ship, and then the blue streaks of a hyperspace jump flashed before them.

The ride on the shuttle back to the Destroyer had been tensely quiet. Kylo knew Hux was still upset about his unexpected order to return all the child 'recruits' to their parents, but the man seemed also strangely cheerful. Kylo had caught Hux looking at him a couple of times with a weirdly devious smirk on his face. It was a little unsettling, he had to admit, but he had bigger issues on his mind-namely, why in the Force he had let all those kids go.

He still wasn't totally sure why he had done it. Seeing her again had affected him far more than he would have ever imagined it would. Her words clouded his mind...made it difficult to concentrate on the Dark Side and its need for power. And that is what he wanted...right? Power? Once he had dominated the rest of the galaxy he would surely be satisfied. Not happy, but satisfied. He had given up on happiness long ago. So why suddenly did the happiness of others matter to him? Seeing all of those children and their parents so distraught and knowing he could alleviate that sadness sparked something in him. The inexplicable urge to do something...good had overcome him.

It was going to cause trouble.

But somehow he didn't care.

Hearing that little girl talk about him like some kind of a hero...it made him start to want things that didn't involve bigger ships and more destructive guns. What would it be like to be a 'good guy' like his father was? Like his mother was still? He shook his head and forced those foolish thoughts out of his mind. He was too far gone.

He would never be a hero.

Rey tried to hide her excitement about the news during the rest of their flight. She barely paid attention to the conversation happening around her, offering limited responses only when absolutely necessary. It was almost certain rose had noticed her smiling once or twice. She couldn't help it. Hope was bubbling up inside her, trying desperately to burst out as a yelp of triumph. She stamped it down. She shouldn't get too ahead of herself. Just because he made this one move, did not necessarily mean he was returning to the Light. But it was still a good sign nonetheless.

They went straight to Leia's office when they arrived. It was all Rey could do to wait until the others finished briefing their leader so she could share her news privately.

"So it sounds like a great start then," Leia said when Poe finished his update. "We have some assets in place on the inside and they'll be spreading the word. Good, good. Anything else?"

"Yeah," said Finn looking around at the others. "The First Order had a whole bunch of kids rounded up ready to take off to be trained."

Leia shook her head in disgust. "I can't wait until we put a stop to that awful practice."

"That's not all," he continued cautiously, unsure how she would react. "They were all released...by _Kylo Ren_," he finished with emphasis.

Leia immediately looked at Rey who nodded in confirmation. As if to steady herself from the shock, Leia leaned back on her desk. "Well, that is very unexpected," she said after a few moments to gather her thoughts. "You should all go get some dinner and some rest. You did a good job today. Poe, I'll meet with you tomorrow morning first thing. While you were gone, I received some more information about another possible ally."

As Poe, Finn and Rose left, Rey hung back, dying to talk with Leia alone. Finally the doors swished shut and she turned to face Leia. "I saw him!" she declared quietly, while at the same exact time Leia said,"What in the Force happened?!"

Rey grabbed her hands in excitement. "We were meeting with the contact and all of the sudden I... _felt_ him. I just knew he was there." Leia listened intently as Rey recapped her interaction with Ben. "Leia, when I mentioned your name, it...affected him," she explained. "I could feel so much conflict and longing inside of him. Maybe if there was a way for you to talk to him, it would help him see it's not too late."

The older woman's soulful brown eyes betrayed her deep inner turmoil. "Rey, I just don't know. It's been so long and I'm-I'm afraid to hope for too much." She stopped and hung her head.

Rey didn't quite know why it was so important to her, but she had to make Leia understand. "He let those children go _**after**_ we talked. Something I said must have gotten to him to make him at least consider other choices. And hearing from you, his mother… I just think he needs you-needs to know you still care. He doesn't have anyone," Rey added, realizing how utterly sad she suddenly felt for hm. "No one."

Leia looked appreciatively at this girl in front of her. "You have a good heart, Rey. Ben is lucky to have you fighting for him. Let me think about it. I would need a way to get a private message to him without either side knowing. It wouldn't do for either of us to put ourselves in jeopardy right now." Leia squeezed Rey's hands and then let go. "Go get some rest." The she cupped Rey's cheek in her hand and smiled.

Rey smiled back and nodded. "Good night."

After she left, Leia was all alone with her thoughts and what a crowd it was! For once she shoved aside thoughts about her duties to the Resistance effort and focused on the maelstrom of emotions she was having about her son. Dare she hope? Could it be possible that he really might change? Rey stirred the embers of hope within her mother's heart and she was equal parts scared witless and ready to jump for joy. To have Ben back would be…

A tear trickled down her cheek. There was so much to be said. Rey was right. Leia should get a message to him, if only to make sure she said all she needed to say. It wouldn't be easy, but it needed doing.

She sat down at her desk and pulled up the holorecorder. Only one other time in her life had a recording been so important. This one to her son would be even more so. Taking a deep breath, she pressed record.

"Hello, Ben."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8-

Rey could not sleep. She tossed and turned in her small bunk, fluffed her pillow, kicked off her blanket and pulled it back on. None of it helped. Finally, she threw it off one last time and sat up, hanging her feet off the side of the bed. _May as well wake up and start the day_, she thought. She looked over at her roommate's empty bunk. Rose was probably somewhere with Finn. The two spent a lot of time these days recording new holo-messages to send out, hoping to get more responses from Stormtroopers like Finn, who were ready to make a change. Bonterra had been their first reply, and it had energized and motivated the duo to exert even more time and energy towards the effort.

After a quick trip to the refresher, Rey ran a brush through her hair, freeing it from the pulled-back style she typically wore when she was active. However, today she was not quite ready to go out amidst the others. Too many unsettled thoughts and unresolved emotions were whirling around in her head. She noticed one of the sacred Jedi texts she had last been studying lying on the small desk she and Rose shared. Swapping out her brush for the book, she returned to sit cross-legged on her unmade bed. All night had been filled with dreams of him, which was very likely the cause of her unrest. Maybe some studying and meditation would help get her back on track.

Kylo Ren was frustrated. The previous day's events had played on repeat in his head all night long- seeing the children, coming face-to-face with Rey, his insane, split-second decision to let all of those kids go.

What was he thinking?!

Rey's accusations, the disappointed look in her eyes, her soft pleas...what was it about her that held him so captive? Sure, she was beautiful in a very natural way- not overly made up like some women he had encountered over the years. In truth, he had chosen to avoid any romantic entanglements whatsoever. He saw it as an impediment to his training and quest for power. Snoke had always discouraged his attachment to anyone, telling him it was a weakness.

But Snoke was gone. He was a liar, and Kylo was not the least bit sorry for his death. He was free from Snoke's poison...free to do as he pleased. If he wanted an "attachment," he could have one.

He scoffed and shook his head. Who was he kidding? He had done too much wrong to deserve any kind of true companionship. Memories invaded his thoughts again, moments of his mother and father, unaware of being observed, flirting affectionately around their quarters.

"_Han!" Leia exclaimed, as her husband came up behind her. She was trying to put up her long hair before heading off to an important meeting. He slid his arms around her waist and lowered his head to begin nibbling delicately on her neck. "I'm trying to get ready, you nerfherder," she protested weakly, but quickly surrendered and turned in his arms to kiss him back._

"_Ah, don't try to resist me, Sweetheart," he muttered, smiling in between kisses. "You know I'll just wear down your defenses."_

_Leia chuckled with her husky but feminine laugh. "You're still a nerfherder."_

Kylo fisted his hands and clenched his jaw. Why did these memories keep popping up? Ever since Crait, and with increasing frequency, he would recall things he had not thought of in years. Seeing what his parents had and knowing it was something he never would, fed the Dark Side. He was agitated. He needed a work out.

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'_Breathe in,_' Rey told herself, filling her lungs and holding it in. '_And out,_' she thought, exhaling slowly. Her eyes were closed and she took several more deep breaths trying to pin down a thought to focus on, something to settle the chaos in her head.

Immediately, Ben's face sprang to mind, startling her. Her eyes popped open and she was shocked to realize she was not in her room anymore-or was she? She turned to look behind her and saw her room. But when she looked in front of her, she was in some kind of training room with black metal on the floors, walls, ceilings. Various equipment was placed around the edges of a central open area, and in the middle of the room was the man himself dressed all in black, of course. Only this time he wore no jacket or tunic, just a tank top. His saber was ignited, fending off pseudo-attacks from several different kinds of training droids. Some were the small spherical ones similar to ones she trained with sometimes. Others were larger, with multiple legs and arms. Regardless, all were attacking him with a barrage of fire. Rey watched in quiet awe. For such a large man, and was certainly large, he moved with unparalleled grace and fluidity as he fended off every single low-impact blast the droids could fire at him. He deflected some with his blade, others by merely holding up his hand to freeze the bold mid-air and then push it flying back to where it came from. Droid after droid dropped out of the melee, clearly no match for his level of skill in combat.

Suddenly, he stopped and turned to look right at her.

"You!" he said, taken aback. Immediately sensing his distraction, one of the remaining ball-shaped droids took a shot. The blast hit the bicep of his saber arm. He flinched in pain and surprise before using his other hand to Force-fling the offender into the far wall, smashing it into a hundred tiny pieces.

She tensed. Her saber was on her desk, not at her side. Should she call it to her? Was she in danger? She remained still and tried to stay calm. It had been so long since their bond had last worked. Why now?

"Power down," he ordered, and all of the droids froze in place and clicked off-line. His saber was still lit as he turned and stared at her for a few silent seconds. Then he gazed around her. "You're in your bedroom," he said simply. "I can see all of your surroundings now. That's different."

Rey suddenly realized she was in fact sitting on her own bed, and he was, for all intents and purposes, right there too. She jumped up quickly as he started walking towards her slowly. He powered down his saber, but did not put it down. She glanced back at her own weapon. He followed her gaze and realized what she was thinking. Glancing down at his own saber, he tossed it onto a nearby bench.

"You won't need that," he said, nodding towards her desk and weapon. "I've had enough fighting for today."

She noted how tired he looked, darkness apparent under his eyes. A slight sheen of sweat coated his muscled arms and dampened the hair around his face. Rey assumed he must have been working out quite intensely to put the flush in his cheeks like that. He raked his hand back through his long, dark hair to push it out of his face.

She moved to the foot of her bed, but did not get too close to him. For some reason, the temperature in the room was rising. Or maybe it was just her. She did feel rather warm.

"So," he broke into her thoughts, "We can do this again." He was referring to their Force bond, the one allowing them to see and talk to each other across space.

"You let them go," she blurted out. He was surprised by her statement, but instantly recovered knowing exactly what she was talking about. "The children," she continued, "you let them go."

He looked at her intently, studying her from head to toe. It made her feel slightly self-conscious. The heat was definitely not just coming from the room.

"We didn't need them," he finally explained nonchalantly, turning around to grab a nearby water bottle for a long drink. It broke the spell. She snorted softly causing him to stop drinking and say, "What?"

"You, that's what. Face it. The Light is spreading in you, Ben. You keep trying to fight it, but it's there inside you. It's a part of you."

He paused, set his bottle down, and took a few more steps towards Rey. She stood her ground, even when he was almost close enough to touch. The sheer size of him was surely enough to intimidate anyone, but she did not feel intimidated the least little bit. No, what she was feeling did not make her want to run away. Quite the opposite, strangely. He stopped and stared down into her face, studying it carefully. Her heart began to pick up its pace.

"Your hair is longer," he muttered in that deep, resonant voice of his.

Her hand went reflexively to the hair she had not bothered to put up today. It was now down well past her shoulders, requiring a little more prep time than it used to . With all that was going on with the Resistance, worrying about her hair had not even been a second thought. She looked up at him. The intensity of his deep brown eyes was slightly disconcerting. Seeing him this calm was new and unexpected. What was going on in that head of his? She glanced down and noticed the angry looking blaster burn on his arm. Without thinking, she reached up to touch his arm gently.

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His gaze followed her movements, but he willed himself to remain still. The last time he had been touched had been that night in the hut on Ahch-To. The feel of her fingertips on his arm was just as electrifying now as it was then. His breath hitched, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Hold on," she said, walking away. "I've got something for that." He watched as she disappeared into what had to be the refresher only to see her appear again carrying something in her hand. "Here we go. A bacta patch."

She neared him again, and all he could do was watch while she gently applied it to his arm. She furrowed her brow and bit her bottom lip in concentration trying to work carefully. Was she trying not to hurt him? This whole encounter was so surreal.

"There," she finally declared, dropping her hands and looking back up at him with a small smile. "That should help."

Didn't she realize he had the most advanced medical tech available right here on his ship? He could tell her, but she seemed so pleased to help him.

"Thank you," he said softly, two words he had not spoken in ages. No one had done anything like this for him in years. It felt... strange to be the recipient of something so simple, yet so sincere. Gazing down into her face, he noticed she must be at least a head shorter than him. He felt an overwhelming urge to touch her. She wasn't looking away, but instead boldly held his gaze almost daring him to do something. So he did.

He reached up and used two fingers to softly push a strand of hair away from her face. He heard her quick intake of breath and felt his heart rate speed up.

"Ben," she whispered breathlessly. Her eyes dropped to his lips and back up to his eyes, so he did the same. Without realizing what he was doing, he moved so close to her that they were mere inches apart. Her hand came up to rest on his chest. Again, her touch was electric. His head lowered, moving in towards hers. Her eyes fluttered shut. She wanted this as much as he did. He closed his eyes and went in with great purpose.

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"Rey! Wait until you hear this!"

Rey's eyes snapped open and she saw Ben, as if in a dream, dissolve into mist. One second he was there, real and solid, and the next, just...gone. She was standing with her palm up as if it was still resting on his chest. Suddenly coming through the very place he had been standing was a very excited Rose Tico whose arrival must have broken her connection with Ben. Her heart sank. She was disappointed and confused by her own feelings.

Rose didn't seem to even notice Rey's turmoil. She was already announcing the reason for her enthusiasm. "We've already heard from four other Stormtrooper cells today! Can you believe it? It seems Slim and his buddies are making good on their promise to spread the word. He told us that once more of them realized they weren't alone, they'd be more likely to make contact with us."

"That's-that's great!" Rey said, finally snapping out of her weird haze. What had she been thinking?! Was she really going to kiss the Supreme Leader of the First Order?-the very enemy she was fighting against? He clouded her mind whenever he was near. Was it some kind of Dark Side trick? Was it just manipulation?

No, she needed to be honest with herself. She was, for whatever reason, drawn to him, connected by the Force in an undeniable bond. But to what end?

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"What the devil is he doing?!" General Hux asked aloud.

He was reviewing more of the secret footage he had been recording over the past several months in which the 'star' was none other than Kylo Ren the usurper. Oh, how he detested that fool! For the longest time, none of the footage showed anything of interest. But then came the trip to Bonterra. They spy droid had followed Ren into an alley where he met up with the scavenger girl- the one Ren tried to say killed Snoke and his guards all on her own. Hux knew that had to be a lie, but was still waiting for proof. The two talked for a few minutes, and then she ran away without Ren doing anything to stop her. Even more suspicious was Ren's order to release the children that had been rounded up for Hux's own Stormtrooper program. He sneered in disgust and anger. Was Ren working with this girl? What other explanation was there?

And now this. He started the recording over again. Ren was in his training room practicing with his droids as he often did. Then suddenly he stopped and turned, clearly mouthing the word, "You." However, there was no one else in the room. He then proceeded to have an entire interaction with… no one. Was he losing his mind? Hux snorted in amusement. Ren was an odd one, there was no doubt about that. But this was taking it to a whole new level. Hux was grateful, though, for yet another piece of irrefutable evidence he could level against this impostor. Seeing Kylo Ren's end was his sole focus now. It was time to move to the next stage of his plan.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9-

Kylo Ren stormed back to his quarters angrily, the guards outside his door barely restraining an obvious flinch at the fury in his stride. When he entered, he immediately headed for the refresher, arguing with himself in his head the whole time about what had just transpired in the training room.

What the Force had just happened?! He jerked off his shirt and shoes and tossed them on the floor. There he was, practicing, working out some of his stress, when the very cause of said stress magically appeared right in front of him.

'So, we're doing that again," he muttered to himself as he yanked off his pants and stepped into the shower. He smashed the button and hot water sprayed down in a flood on his head. Maybe, he thought, the water would wash away thoughts of her. So he stood there still as a statue and tried to clear his mind.

It didn't work.

Even with his eyes closed, he could see her face as if she was right there. The way she had looked at him- he felt the undeniable pull between them. Back at their first encounter, he told himself he was only interested in her Force abilities- in training her. He thought he could convince her to join him. They would be unstoppable. But when she had shown actual concern and compassion for him, it became something else. He saw her in a whole new light, which is why it stung so deeply when she had refused him on Snoke's ship.

He pressed his hand and head against the shower wall and braced for the flood of anger at the memory. It had swallowed him whole for a time. However, now the dark emotions did not hit as hard. He was surprised to realize it was more disappointment and regret now. He found he couldn't be mad at her for doing what she felt she had to do. She would never leave her friends helpless to die. And honestly, he had to admit, he wouldn't have thought much of her if she had. What he offered her was obviously not what she wanted.

He raised his head and pounded the 'off' button. Grabbing a towel, he dried off and wrapped it around his waist. Looking up into the mirror, his mind continued to race.

Today, however, was different. She_**had**_ 'wanted.' He felt it. It was palpable, this thing between them. Maybe Snoke had opened their connection, but he was gone and it was only getting stronger. Now even her surroundings were visible. That was new. The image of her simple bed and room popped into his mind, cozy with personal touches lying around. He walked out of the refresher and surveyed his own quarters. It was cold, impersonal, nondescript. The bed frame was black. The bedding was...black. Floor and walls...Yeah, he was sensing a theme here.

Another memory flashed in his mind- his childhood home filled with holopics his mother had on display showcasing their family and some of her favorite planets. There was a picture of his father and her at some formal diplomatic event. Kylo remembered the suit Han would wear to those functions and how he always complained about the neck being too tight. Another was a landscape of Alderaan she happened upon during an undercover mission, and of course the one she called her 'favorite.' It was him at about two years old sitting on Han's lap in the Falcon's cockpit, both of them smiling and happy. He especially remembered that one because his mother always looked at it with love in her eyes and said, "My heart."

He shook his head and felt his own heart tighten a little. His parents… his bottom lip quivered ever so slightly, and he forced himself to stop thinking about them. "Just block it out," he commanded himself. It did no good to think of such things. His mother was fighting on the opposing side in this war, and his father was…

"_You can't go back, my boy. You can't ever go back." Snoke's frequent reminder popped unbidden into his mind. "You've committed to the Dark Side. Your parents-the revered Leia Organa and the galactic hero Han Solo- could never accept you after all you've done. You know it to be true. And you've no need of them or anyone else who is weak and follows the Light Side. No, true power comes from severing your worthless attachments. Darth Vader knew the truth of this. It is how he achieved such greatness, and now, so will you."_

For years, those words worked to drive out that yearning for what had been, to tamp down that little flicker of light that flared up from time to time. But now, Kylo knew the truth of Snoke. He was a liar- a deceiver who had poisoned his impressionable young mind and used him to further his own ambitions. No longer was Kylo under his spell. No longer did he answer to anyone. He was in charge- of himself and the entire First Order.

He sighed and put on a fresh pair of pants and a clean, black tunic. As he slipped his arms through the sleeves, something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. He stepped slowly over to the display case he'd had specially made. Pushing a small button, the case hissed open revealing one of his prized possessions-the ruined mask of Darth Vader. Kylo stared down at the distorted remains that had once brought him an odd kind of calm. In the past, whenever he had felt the traitorous pull to the Light, he would pause to talk to his grandfather"s mask, often even hearing his voice. Although it had not happened since Snoke"s death, maybe it would work this time. He reached down to pick it up.

"You do know that it wasn't really my father's voice you were hearing, right?"

Kylo whirled around to see Luke Skywalker's Force ghost sitting casually on the edge of his bed. His nostrils flared in exasperation. Why now? His muddled emotions needed straightening out, not the frustration Luke would surely bring to this encounter.

"What do you want?" he said through gritted teeth, setting the mask back gently into its resting place.

"What do _**I**_ want?" Luke questioned. "Question should be, what do_**you**_ want?" He stood up and turned around with his arms out to his sides. "You've got all of this," he stated, surveying Kylo's cold, impersonal room, "but you don't know if you really want it. The power only satisfies for a time, especially when there's no one to share it with."

Kylo snarled. "I don't need anyone to share it with."

Luke laughed and shook his head, irritating his nephew even more. "It's time to grow up and stop lying to yourself, Ben. We all need someone to share life with, be it family or friends. Otherwise, what's the point?"

"The point is, I have sole control of the greatest army this galaxy has ever seen." Even as the words left his mouth, he regretted how desperate he sounded, trying to prove to Luke that he was impervious to needing anyone else.

"True," Luke admitted. "You do have lots of people who fear you and your power. But do they respect you? Do they care about you?- the real you?- Ben Solo?"

Kylo stared defiantly at the face of his uncle, teacher and betrayer. "Why do people keep insisting Ben Solo still exists?" he spat angrily. "He is gone- for good," he insisted.

Luke approached him, looking up into Kylo's tortured face. "No, he's not." he stated simply with a tiny smile. "There are still people who care about you, and you know it." He walked over to the mask of his father and gazed down upon it. "You seem to conveniently forget the end of my father's story. Anakin Skywalker died returning to the truth of the Light Side because of his love for others." He glanced up at his nephew. "Despite what you think, it's not too late, Ben."

Luke smiled a smile that said so much and then disappeared leaving Kylo, once again, alone with his thoughts.

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"_**Greetings, my brothers and sisters. My name is Finn, but I was formerly known only as Stormtrooper FN2187. Like all of you, I was taken from my family at a young age and forced to become a soldier- blindly following the First Order's commands with no choice in my future- a disposable pawn to be used in the leaders' quest for total domination of the galaxy. For too long we have followed orders, often hurting and even killing innocent people who just want to live their lives in peace. We are expected to carry out atrocities without conscience or question. They don't believe we can think for ourselves. They don't want us to think for ourselves because, when we do, we realize that what we are doing is wrong. Instead of being agents of peace, we are messengers of misery.**_

"_**But we don't have to be. We can be so much more. I urge you to consider what I've said- examine your own conscience- think about your future and that of the galaxy. If you want to make a change and make a difference, then join us. Help the Resistance bring back peace, freedom and hope to people everywhere. May the Force be with you."**_

The holomessage ended, and the image of Finn disappeared. The small group of Stormtroopers gathered secretly in a quiet, unused utility closet on a lower deck of the Star Destroyer, silently looked around at each other contemplating the covert message. Finally, one of them, a short, stocky man everyone jokingly called Slim, spoke up.

"So, what do you think?" he asked the others.

Ever since being reassigned from Bonterra to this ship, he had been scouting out possible additions to the growing group of Stormtroopers willing and wanting to join the Resistance. He was keeping in touch with his contacts and focusing on spreading the word without drawing attention to himself. It was a risky venture, considering the ship he was now stationed on was none other than the command ship of the Supreme Leader. But he was in this until the end. It was the right thing to do.

And there were other hopeful signs. It started that day on Bonterra, when word spread that Kylo Ren- the Supreme Leader himself- set hundreds of children destined for Stormtrooper life free. His buddy who witnessed it, told the story with a note of awe. Slim loved the description of how Kylo Ren had shut down any questions and opposition, including General Armitage Hux, by Force flinging him into a nearby wall. Oh, how he wished he could have seen that! Not many troopers he knew cared much for Hux, the person behind the child recruitment program- the one who ripped so many from their loving families. Apart from a small group of officers and select troopers, not many held any loyalty to the arrogant general.

Then there was the time mere days ago when Kylo Ren had made a surprise visit to their barracks. It was the first time any of them could remember the leader ever venturing down to the lower decks. He had always been so aloof and austere- no one would dare even try to approach him or attempt to engage him in a conversation. They all knew about his dark Force abilities, and some had witnessed him in action. By now most people knew better than to cross the grandson of the infamous Darth Vader.

However, could it be possible that Kylo Ren wasn't exactly what they thought he was?

Slim looked back up at the other Stormtroopers gathered around him, the question hanging in the air between them. Would they continue on as they had been, wreaking havoc across the galaxy in the name of the First Order?- or risk it all to join the Resistance?

"I'm in," said a young woman he knew as trooper SN3129. She had the blondest hair he had ever seen, so he had dubbed her 'Sunny.' He smiled and nodded gratefully. Once she bravely spoke up, the others quickly followed suit.

Hope was quickly spreading.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10-

"That's one more for the books!" Rose exclaimed as Chewbacca growled his satisfied agreement. He deftly piloted the Millennium Falcon as it lifted off from the group's latest secret recruitment meeting. Rey turned in the pilot's seat to look at Rose and Finn who were standing in the entryway of the cockpit wearing smiles from ear to ear. She noticed Finn had his hand resting on Rose's lower back and she was leaning into his side comfortably. The pair had become closer than ever since Finn's Stormtrooper plan had begun. Rey was happy for her friends, glad they had one another.

She returned her focus to the controls and punched in the hyperspace coordinates that would take them back to headquarters. Two weeks had passed since her Force bond encounter with Kylo...Ben, she corrected herself. She kept trying to think of him as Ben Solo because she sensed the Light in him growing stronger. The Force was still working on him, so Rey refused to give up on the possibility that he might still turn away from the Dark Side.

And that last meeting- she felt her cheeks heat up at the memory of it. Watching him move so skillfully- having him so close- actually touching him. She should have been afraid of him, but she wasn't. Not at all. At least, not afraid that he would hurt her. However, the way he peered so deeply into her eyes, her soul, had unsettled her. There was no denying she was inexplicably drawn to him. If Rose hadn't shown up when she did, what might have happened between them? She should be relieved, yet instead, she was oddly disappointed.

"That's the third meeting in less than two weeks!" Finn declared excitedly. "I knew there had to be more troopers out there like me, but I never dreamed there were so many or that they'd make contact so fast!"

"It was a great idea, Finn," Rose affirmed. "I'll bet there will be even more contacts waiting for us by the time we get back. Leia won't know what to do with all of them!"

Finn's messages were, in fact, spreading faster than they had anticipated. Even the skeptical Poe Dameron was amazed at the response they had received so far from troopers ready to defect after awakening to the truth of the First Order. For now, Leia was instructing them to be patient, spread the message, and be ready to act when the time was right. Hope was really taking hold of the Resistance, increasing their ranks on an almost daily basis.

"I'm going back to the main hold to type up my report while it's still fresh in my mind," Finn announced. "Want to join me?" he asked Rose. She readily consented and soon Rey and Chewie were alone.

Chewie turned to look at Rey. "Are you ok?" he asked in his Wookie language. "You seem distracted."

She glanced up at him in the seat next to her. Some people underestimated Chewie's intelligence and intuitiveness because of his size or quietness. However, Rey had been around him long enough to know that his still waters ran deep. She saw first hand his loyalty and love for Han, Leia and Luke- had even experienced a little of that aimed towards herself. Chewbacca had been alive longer than any of them, had experienced a lot of horrible things, and yet still managed to remain a positive spirit. He saw what lots of others were too busy to notice. Lying to him would be pointless.

"I just… have a lot on my mind lately," she answered. She glanced around the cockpit to make sure they were truly alone. After a deep breath and a moment to contemplate her next words, she asked," Can I ask you a question, Chewie?"

He growled a short, "Of course."

Finally, she began. "Back on Starkiller Base, when Kylo Ren...Ben...when he..._killed_ Han," she winced even as she said the words, "why didn't you shoot to kill him? I've seen your bowcaster in action, and I know what an excellent shot you are. You could have easily killed him. But you didn't. Why?"

Chewie was silent for a few moments. Rey feared her question had ripped open a soul-deep wound, but then he sighed heavily and started to answer.

"I owed Han my life," he began. "Years ago, he saved me, so I vowed to protect him and his with my life." He paused again as if recalling a precious memory. "They were my family. When Ben was born, Han was so happy, but also afraid he would not be a good father since he had none himself. And the uncertainty of the galaxy sat heavy on Han and Leia's minds. I promised I would always protect Ben, and I meant it.

"Snoke preyed on Ben and pulled him away from his family. It broke Han and Leia's hearts. On Starkiller Base, seeing him on that bridge with Han… I made a split second decision. It was too late to save Han's life," he admitted softly, "but I just couldn't bring myself to take Ben's."

Rey reached over and laid her hand on his large, furry one. "You had hope." He nodded his head. "I do too," she added softly.

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Rey was last to exit the Falcon after they docked back at headquarters. Poe and Leia were waiting in the hangar when they landed, anxious to hear about their latest recruits. Finn, still grinning about the success of his bold idea, couldn't wait to tell Poe all about this mission. Rose was right by his side, filling in the missing parts of Finn's recounting.

Leia stood quietly to the side. Rey noticed she was using her cane again, leaning heavily on it to brace herself as she stood. That was becoming more common for their fearless leader. Fatigue was beginning to show on her face and in her body, yet Rey knew she would never stop fighting as long as she held breath. The two women made eye contact, and Rey understood Leia wanted to talk to her privately. She offered a tiny nod of acknowledgement and started toward Leia.

Poe was listening intently as he, Finn, and Rose exited the hangar headed to the Resistance command center. They didn't even notice Rey and Leia were not following them. In fact, the two took off in the opposite direction toward Leia's private quarters.

"So, it must have been a good trip," Leia said with amusement.

"Yes, it was. It's almost unbelievable how Finn's plan is working," Rey said with a grin.

Leia stopped and looked up at her. "People everywhere want peace and freedom. Unfortunately, too many allow fear to hold them back from getting it. But give them a little hope, and miracles can happen." Then she started walking again.

Rey was continually surprised by the many facets of Leia Organa Solo and how well she understood people. Her wisdom and compassion were such an example. They arrived at Leia's door and went inside. Rey took the seat and drink she was offered and waited for Leia to share what was on her mind. While the General went to retrieve something from her bedroom, Rey casually looked around.

Her gaze came to rest on a new addition to Leia's desk. It was a holopic. Out of curiosity, she went over to get a closer look. What she saw brought an instant smile to her face. It was a picture of Han, Leia and a very young Ben, maybe at four or five years old. He was sitting in between his parents and all three were smiling happily. She grinned at Ben's somewhat oversized ears sticking out from his head, recalling seeing glimpses of them peeking out from his now much longer hair. A sudden bittersweet wave washed over her thinking about the present reality of the Solo family. Ben looked so sweet and innocent in the picture. Now, knowing some of what he had endured over the years since, she wondered again if he could truly come back to the Light. She shook off the flash of doubt. She would not give up on him. That little boy in the picture deserved to have someone fight for him.

Leia re-entered the room and stepped up next to Rey. "I almost forgot I even had that picture tucked away," she admitted with a wistful gaze. "Those were happier times. I only wish I had realized how special that time with them truly was." She glanced up at Rey. "But I guess every parent feels that way at some point. I took your advice." She held up her hand for Rey to see what she was holding. It was a small hand-held holodisk.

"For Ben?" she asked. Leia nodded.

"You were right, Rey. This is long overdue. I shouldn't have avoided it for all this time. I just need a way to get it to him. I definitely can't go through regular channels. There is no telling how others in the Resistance would react if they knew their leader was in personal contact with the leader of their enemies."

"I can do it," Rey volunteered immediately without reservation.

Leia seemed taken aback by her instant offer. "Rey, I couldn't ask you to risk your life to go deliver this for me. It's too dangerous. How would you even do it?"

"Trust me. I can do it, and I won't be in danger." Rey reached out and touched Leia's arm. "Ben needs to see it. He needs to know you still care."

Leia studied her face carefully. "You've seen him again, haven't you?"

Rey felt her cheeks heat up again. Leia was too perceptive, and she knew she could not hide anything from her. She nodded.

"Your Force connection?" Leia continued. Another nod came from Rey. "How is he?" Leia asked, a hint of desperation in her voice.

The young Jedi considered how to respond and finally settled on, "_Confusing_," with a little shrug of her shoulders.

Leia chuckled. "He _**is**_ his father's son, that's for sure," she replied.

Rey tried to clarify. "I just mean, he seemed… _different_… not as angry and ready to fight. Leia, I think the Light is truly working on him. It's not letting him go without a fight, and neither can we. It can't be for nothing that he let all of those children go. That has to be a good sign, don't you think?"

Gazing up into Rey's ever-hopeful face, Leia was amazed at her unflagging positivity when it came to Ben. She reached up to touch Rey's cheek. "What _**I**_ think is that the Force sent you into our lives for a very important reason. Not just anyone could or would bother to think of Ben - after all he's done- as a lonely soul who just needs someone to show him some hope. Most would even say he doesn't deserve it. And maybe he doesn't. But I can't stop hoping my son will turn back." She dropped her hand to her side and looked away sadly. "I haven't seen hm in so long," she whispered, her eyes welling up with unshed tears. "Just to hold him in my arms one more time and feel him squeeze me too hard trying to make me laugh…" She sighed and turned back to Rey.

The younger woman grabbed her hand. "I promise I will do everything I can to help him, Leia," she pledged.

"I know," Leia said with a smile. She placed the holodisk in Rey's hand and curled her fingers securely around it, sealing it with a gentle pat.

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Kylo Ren studied the people sitting at the table in front of him. It was time for their daily briefing when various officers, who he was certain would happily kill him if given half a chance, tried to out-do one another by spouting off about the effectiveness of their respective departments. Just now Lieutenant Lahvas was droning on and on about her recent manufacturing breakthrough that was helping crank out new blasters faster than ever. Her high, nasally voice grated on his nerves. For a split second he thought about silencing her with a quick, silent Force choke. But it passed just as quickly. He wouldn't do that. Not now anyway. Instead he continued trying to maintain an appearance of sincere interest. However, that was no good because his mind started quickly wandering away from the meeting.

Lately he was feeling a little… _unusual_… not like himself… at least, not the person he had been for the last several years. Less and less of his time was spent feeling angry and ready to bash something or someone to pieces. He even found himself doing strange things, like venturing down to the lower decks to the Stormtrooper barracks- just to look around. Never before had he even had the thought to care about the troopers. They had been almost as surprised to see him there as he was to be there. He sensed their instant fear that his arrival was a portent of something bad to come. They offered the expected deference to their Supreme Leader, however, it was out of fear and not respect. As he inspected the simple austerity of their surroundings, he couldn't help but notice the atmosphere of camaraderie and brotherhood that permeated the entire place. Although most of them had been taken from their families years ago, they had managed to forge a new one here with each other.

From a distance he witnessed them smiling, joking, patting each other on the back, punching each other playfully in the arm. How long had it been since he had that kind of companionship? Back at the Temple with Luke's other students? It certainly had not happened since leaving that place and joining up with Snoke and the First Order. The Knights of Ren were not exactly "buddy" material, more like partners in crime. And Snoke had kept him separated from almost everyone else. He realized now that his isolation had been necessary for Snoke to maintain control over him. He felt foolish for being so oblivious for so long.

"Is that satisfactory, Supreme Leader, sir?"

He realized suddenly that the Lieutenant had concluded her rambling report and was asking for his approval. Straightening up in his seat, he nodded once and hoped he had not missed too much of what she had said. "Thank you, Lieutenant," he added awkwardly.

Their surprised faces all turned to stare at him, and he realized too late that it was likely because he never thanked any of them..._**ever**_.

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From his seat, General Hux quietly observed Kylo Ren at the head of the table. It was becoming a bit of an obsession, this watching the Supreme Leader. After seeing the video of Ren's bizarre behavior in the training room, Hux had determined to use all of the agents and tech he could to spy on his nemesis. While nothing too outrageous had happened yet, he felt certain something was "off" with their leader. Word reached him just days before that Ren had gone down to the barrack levels and roamed around inspecting the troopers' quarters, mess halls, and lounges. He was shocked Ren even knew where the lower decks were. The man was practically a recluse, if that was even possible on a ship of thousands.

Kylo Ren seemed totally disinterested in this entire meeting. Hux could read him enough to notice the moment the man mentally checked out. What was he up to? What had him so preoccupied? He did not know for sure, but he felt certain it had something to do with that scavenger girl. Perhaps if he waited long enough, his patience would be repaid with evidence so damning and treasonous, that getting rid of Ren would be a cinch.

He smiled and went back to watching.

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Kylo tried to ignore the silent confusion on the faces of his underlings. Best to plunge ahead. "Who's next?" he asked, using his best deep, booming, authoritative voice. That seemed to snap them all out of it.

"That-that would be me, Supreme Leader," Commander Nyna stuttered. The man began nervously shuffling through a stack of papers in front of him.

Kylo fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Any time now, Commander," he said with a hint of irritation. The man finally found what he was looking for and started his report. Kylo made a concerted effort to focus on what Nyna was saying, but again, his mind began to drift.

Did Nyna like his job? He wondered. What was his first name? Did he have a family? Was this really what he hoped to spend the rest of his life doing?- counting up pain reliever doses and bacta patches? Kylo realized he did not know much about any of the people sitting in front of him even after years of working with them. His mother would be ashamed. She had always made a point to learn as much as she could about the people around her. It is what made her such an effective and well-loved leader.

Where had that thought come from? Lately, past memories of his family were popping up at random times, often catching him off-guard. He typically tried to not think of his family. It was too painful. But, he had to admit, the sting was lessening as their frequency increased.

'_Pay attention!'_ he scolded himself, concentrating once again on the man speaking. Just then, a peculiar charge in the air made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He scanned the room with his eyes as inconspicuous as he could, and suddenly, there she was- standing at the other end of the table behind some other person he couldn't name. Rey was right there.

He stood up abruptly causing his chair to go rolling backwards. "Get out," he said, not taking his eyes off her for fear she would disappear. Everyone else at the table looked befuddled and unsure whom he was talking to. They looked at each other for clarification, but all were confused.

"I said get out! All of you! NOW!" he commanded. This time it was perfectly clear. Several of them nearly tripped over their own feet in an effort to exit expediently and not draw any of Kylo's legendary temper onto them.

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Hux watched with pure delight. His gaze followed where Ren was staring at the opposite end of the large rectangular table. Nothing was there. Was the man hallucinating? He suppressed a grin as he moved toward the door. Ren showing signs of losing it in front of all of these officers was an unexpected gift. He couldn't have planned it better himself. Somehow he managed to hold back the huge, triumphant grin until he was completely out of the room.

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The doors shut and they were finally alone. Kylo cautiously started around the table toward her. With a wave of his hand, he used the Force to push the lock button without breaking eye contact. She started slowly walking toward him until they both met in the middle. He stared down at her, not saying a word, but wanting desperately to touch her and make sure she was really there. Ever since their last meeting, he had been unable to purge her from his thoughts.

She stared back up at him with a tiny smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "I think you scared them," she said. He nearly smiled, but remained silent. She continued. "I'm glad to see you don't have on that awful mask."

He flinched. Was she… _teasing_ him? "You don't like my mask?" he replied, taking one more step closer to her. The air was practically crackling with their energy. Her eyes turned up at the edges in another little grin.

"Not really. It hides your-," she suddenly stopped and looked away, her cheeks reddening. Was she blushing? For some reason he liked the idea that he could do that to her.

"Hides my what?" he questioned softly, recapturing her gaze, forcing himself not to reach out and touch her beautiful face.

Her breath hitched revealing she was as affected as he was. This time she stared boldly back at him and answered, "It hides your eyes. You have nice eyes."

He blinked. She liked his eyes? No one had ever told him that.

"I have something for you," she quickly changed the subject and searched for something in her bag. As she did so, he studied the soft curve of her cheek, the graceful slope of her neck, the one errant curl trying to escape her pulled-back style. "Here it is," she announced looking back up at him in satisfaction, completely oblivious to the storm of emotions she was awakening in him. "Hold out your hand."

He hesitated, surprised by this whole encounter. "Come on," she declared, "give me your hand." Before he knew it, she grabbed his gloved left hand and held it palm up, placing a small holodisk there. "It's a message… from your mother."

Stunned silence was his only response. Rey kept talking. "Ben," she started. Why did it affect him so much when she said that name? "Ben, she cares about you so much." She paused briefly before adding softly, "and so do I."

What was happening? His mind couldn't seem to make sense of all she was saying. His mother sent a message? Rey cared about him?

She laid her two small hands over his one. "I know the Light is calling you back. It's not giving up on you. Neither am I and neither is Leia. Watch the message."

Before he could even respond, Rey raised up on her tiptoes and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. And then she was gone.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11- The Message

Kylo Ren stood frozen, staring at the small object in his hand. In a moment, he lifted his other one and touched his face where Rey had placed a kiss and then disappeared. His mind was overwhelmed with so many thoughts- too many to make sense of all of them at once. So he quickly prioritized. The kiss would need further dissection for sure, but for now the disk in his hand won the battle for his attention.

Holding it up to eye level, he simply stared at it for several more seconds. A message...from his mother. He could not even remember the last time he had spoken to her. No, that wasn't true, he forced himself to admit. He did remember. It was a conversation that ended with her in tears and him more angry and determined than ever to thwart her desperate attempts to convince him to come home. He lowered his eyes in a brief moment of regret. What would she say to him, especially now that his father was..._**gone**_? And knowing her own son was the one who killed him?

His thumb hovered reluctantly over the play button, torn between curiosity and utter dread. It called to mind another time when deciding whether to push a button would have affected their relationship forever.

He pushed this one.

His mother's face instantly appeared before him, causing him to stumble back a step, unprepared for the avalanche of pain and longing seeing her brought with it. She looked the same and yet so different. Even through the slight distortion of the holo-image, he noticed the added wrinkles on her face and streaks of gray in her hair. A sudden memory flashed of how he used to love snuggling into her when he was little, climbing up into her lap, grabbing a strand of her long hair and holding on while she held him close and peppered kisses on his cheeks. HIs throat felt tight, and he pushed the memory away.

"Hello, Ben," she started. He immediately pushed 'pause' and took a deep breath to steady himself. Glancing around the empty meeting room, he realized he did not want to do this here and turned off the disk. Closing his fist tightly around it, he regained control of himself, walked out and headed directly to his quarters, his two guards following briskly behind trying to match his long, determined stride. Once they arrived at his door, he turned to face them.

"I want no interruptions. None. Understood?"

"Yes, Supreme Leader," they replied dutifully.

He whirled around, his cape billowing behind, and entered his rooms. As soon as the doors swished shut, he released the breath he had not even realized he was holding. It came out in an unsteady huff. His legs felt like they might give out beneath him, so he quickly sat down on the side of his bed. Bracing himself for what was to come, he unclenched his fist and gazed at the holo-disk once again.

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"_You are too attached to your mother," Snoke said to him as they walked together in Snoke's lush, forest-like level on board his command ship. Kylo had told him of his recurring dreams about his mother begging him to come home. The temptation to do just that- return to his family and the Light- was a battle he continued to fight. Snoke switched back and forth between deriding him for the weakness and gently guiding him back to his new purpose with the First Order. The problem was he never knew which version he would get. Seemed that today was to be the kinder version- if Snoke could ever truly be accused of kindness._

"_You must purge her from your thoughts," he continued, "from your very heart. She is nothing to you now. Why, she couldn't wait to get rid of you...sent you off to Skywalker as soon as she could." He paused for a moment to gage the effect his words were having before continuing. "In fact, were I you, Leia Organa Solo would be the last person I would ever want to speak to again. What kind of mother abandons her only child, eh?"_

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The unbidden memory caused him to hesitate. Snoke's words had fueled his anger for many years and kept the Light at bay whenever Kylo felt tempted. Looking back now, it was painfully obvious and embarrassing how easily he had been manipulated.

'_**Watch the message.'**_

Rey's recent words replayed in his mind and thoughts of Snoke dissolved instantly. He pushed 'play.'

"Hello, Ben."

"Mom," he whispered. He swallowed hard and felt his bottom lip start to tremble.

She smiled and shook her head. "I'm not even sure where to start. There are so many things I want to say to you." Her expression softened. "I'll start with I'm sorry."

He stared hard at her image and felt the gorge rise in his throat again. He tried to swallow it down.

"I made so many mistakes, things I wish I could change. You probably hate me, think I betrayed you. But I didn't mean for it to turn out like this. When I sent you to Luke, I thought I was doing the right thing… giving you more of what you needed...more than I could give you as a Jedi.

"Ben, you were always exceptional. I felt it the moment I knew I was pregnant with you. I knew you were going to be special- and you were… you are. But I let fear creep in. I was afraid I wouldn't be good enough, wise enough, powerful enough in the Force to give you all you needed. And your father felt the same- that he could never be good enough for you."

The mention of his father made him flinch in pain. She continued.

"We both loved you so much. There we were, trying our best to make the galaxy a safe, peaceful place where you and every other child could live a happy life. But in the process, we lost sight of _**you**_\- the most important thing to both of us. When you left and joined up with Snoke, it broke our hearts. However, we never stopped wanting you to come home- to come back to us. I _**still**_ want you to come home," she added, her voice cracking with emotion. "And I'm not the only one."

His ears perked up. "Rey cares about you, Ben." His heart thumped at those words. "She convinced me that there is still Light in you, that it's still not too late for you. I know we hurt you. I wish I could change it all, but know this. I want you to be happy. I want you to love and be loved. You deserve it. And the Dark Side can never give you that."

He could hear the pleading in her voice and it tugged at his own long-dormant heartstrings. His face was heating up and his eyes were welling up.

"Maybe you think you've gone too far because of your father's death to ever come back. But you know he would never want you to live in pain and full of hate and regret. He forgives you. I know it. I feel it. And I forgive you too." She sighed. "If I could just see you…" She reached out her hand and then dropped it. Kylo could almost imagine he felt her touch, felt his heart yearn for it… a hug from his mother.

"Just come home, Ben. We'll figure it all out together. And if you want me to, I'll leave it all behind, go wherever you want to go, if you'll just come back… _please_," her voice cracked. She paused and looked down. When she glanced back up, he could see the tears glistening in her eyes.

"I love you, sweetheart," she added softly, and then the message ended and her face vanished.

Kylo sat there in silence and then lay the holo-disk on the bed next to him. He leaned over, placed his head in his hands, and wept.

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General Hux hurried to his office. He desperately wanted to check out the video footage of the meeting Kylo Ren had just kicked them out of minutes ago. Once inside, he locked his door. He wanted no interruptions while he analyzed the feed. The time to put his plan into action was drawing near, he could feel it.

Switching on all of his monitors, he settled quickly into his chair and started punching in passcodes. The feed from the meeting room popped up on the middle screen, but the place was empty. No Ren. He frowned, then pushed 'rewind' until the man reappeared on screen. He didn't stop until he got to the part when the man jumped up and ordered them all to get out.

He scoffed derisively and shook his head in distaste. Ren was an absolute fool, and watching his bizarre behavior on screen only served to make him a deranged fool as well. Hux observed him staring at an empty spot and then walking towards it. When he stopped, Hux could see him moving his lips, apparently speaking to the invisible visitor. "I wonder what he saw?" Hux pondered.

As he continued his private viewing, his plan was becoming more real in his mind. He smiled in smug satisfaction. Ren was going to make it so easy. Then he did a double take. Pushing rewind again, he queued up the last few seconds and forced himself to watch very closely. Ren raised his hand, palm up, and then- what was that?! Something just- _appeared_ right there in his hand out of thin air! He rewound it again and zoomed in closer. It was a small holo-disk. As it continued to play, he watched Ren push 'play.' What Hux saw next nearly made him flip backward in his seat. The face of Leia Organa Solo, Ren's mother and leader of the enemy Resistance was sending him a holo-message! Hux let out a dignified whoop of triumph. This was what he'd been waiting for- a way to get rid of Kylo Ren and take over as rightful leader of the First Order.

Just then, an incoming message buzzed on his comm link. He answered it as he rewound the footage and watched it again just to make sure he wasn't imagining things. "Yes. What is it?" he asked, annoyed at the intrusion into his solitary victory celebration.

"General, sir," the voice said, "we found something you need to see right away. I'm sending it to you now."

Hux sighed. What could be better than what was on the screen in front of him? "Very well." A ping sounded on his console to announce the arrival of this new information. He clicked the link and was instantly riveted to the scene that appeared. It was Snoke in his throne room. And there was Ren and the scavenger girl. As he watched, his feeling of triumph and vindication grew astronomically. "I knew it!" he exclaimed, jumping up from his seat. By the time the footage ended, Snoke lay in pieces, the room was a burning shambles, the Praetorian guards were no more, and Ren's lie that the girl killed their former leader was proven false. Hux couldn't believe his good fortune.

Nothing could stop him now.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12-

Rey was restless.

A day had passed since delivering Leia's message to Ben and then impulsively kissing him on the cheek. She couldn't believe she had done it! He had been standing so close, his large, masculine frame practically enveloping her, and he smelled... so..._**good**_. She did not know what exactly it was- clean, tempting.._man_? Whatever it was, it had unfurled its fingers and pulled her in before she could stop herself. Now she couldn't seem to sit still, so she made her way down to the training room, hoping to work off some of her excess energy. When she arrived, she was surprised to find Finn helping a new civilian recruit learn how to use a blaster.

"Yeah, that's it!" he exclaimed with one of his big, toothy grins. The young man fired a shot that made it almost into the center of the practice target. Rey noticed several blaster burns far outside of the bullseye indicating his previous lack of accuracy. After a few more successful shots, the young man ceased firing and glanced proudly over at Finn. Her friend clapped the young man on the back encouragingly and then noticed her walking his way. He waved, turned to dismiss his 'student', and started walking toward her.

As soon as she was close enough, he pulled her into a friendly hug like he so often did. She couldn't help but smile and squeeze him back. Eventually, he pulled back to look at her, his hands still on her shoulders. "What are you up to?" he asked innocently.

She shrugged. "I just thought I'd get some practice in. I've been a bit...restless lately," she confessed sheepishly.

Finn nodded and dropped his hands to his sides. "No wonder. Things are definitely a little crazy lately. Want some company? I could stand to practice a little bit too. Don't want to get rusty on my hand-to-hand," he joked.

"Sure!' She replied, happy to have a distraction from her muddled thoughts of Ben Solo. However, she didn't dare tell Finn about those thoughts or that she was secretly in contact with him. He might not understand her complicated relationship with the leader of the First Order. To be truthful, she wasn't sure she understood it either. By all accounts, he should be her mortal enemy. But she just couldn't bring herself to think of him that way and had not since that night in the hut on Ahch-To. The moment their hands touched changed everything for her. They were connected by the Force, no doubt, but what exactly did it want from them? The more she saw him, learned about him, the more their bond grew. She couldn't shake the inevitable feeling they each had an important role to play in the other's life. It was partly why she wasn't resisting the urge to keep fighting for him.

But for now, she would keep all thoughts about Ben Solo to herself.

"How about staffs?" Finn asked, breaking into her train of thought. She glanced up at him as he tossed a staff her way. She caught it easily and spun it skillfully to gauge its feel in her hands. "I'll take that as a yes," he grinned.

In the next second, they were engaged in a sparring match that required her full attention. Finn was certainly improving. In the past, she had been able to practically anticipate his moves whenever they practiced together. This time it seemed as if their roles were reversed and he was anticipating hers. Just when she thought she was going to land a good blow, he blocked and parried her strikes. A few times he nearly caught her off guard and sent her down on her back side.

"You're getting pretty good at this!" she admitted with grunt as their staffs crashed together again and again. She spun around, determined this time to catch him off-guard, but something caught her eye off to the side of the room. She froze. The staff dropped out of her hand and clanked loudly on the floor. "Ben?" she said.

Fortunately, Finn noticed her distraction just in time to avoid making contact with her back. However, she didn't even seem to notice. Her eyes were focused on a spot across the room even though they were the only two left in attendance. "Rey? Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

She took a few steps forward, eyes locked on that spot, astonishment and dismay etched on her face. Finn gently touched her arm. "Rey?" he asked again. She quickly turned to him with fear in her eyes.

"I have to go," she said suddenly. "Where's Rose?" she questioned, finally turning back to look at him. "Where is she?"

He was taken aback by her instant change in demeanor and her strange, out of the blue question. "She-she's in the main hangar, I think. Why? Is everything ok? I'm a little worried about you, Rey." He reached out to touch her gently on the arm in concern. She glanced down at his hand and then back up to his face, placing her hand over his.

"I'll be fine," she assured him, "but I have to go find Rose." Offering him a final smile, she turned and ran out of the the training room.

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General Armitage Hux gazed out at the small band of elite Stormtroopers and trusted officers assembled in front of him. This moment was the culmination of many months of meticulous planning. In fact, truth be told, from the moment he first met Kylo Ren, Hux knew he needed to get rid of him at all costs. Ren had been a thorn in his side, always a rival for Snoke's approval, an arrogant usurper of the power that should be his own. He, Hux, deserved to be the leader of the First Order- not Kylo Ren, the petulant, immature son of blasted Resistance fighters!

However, now it was finally time for action.

"What we do here today will launch the First Order into a new era of glorious power," he declared. "Kylo Ren is a traitor. You have all seen the proof of his lies and his blatant acts of treason...killing our rightful leader… working in league with the scavenger girl… and communicating and plotting with the enemy leader of the Resistance who just so happens to be his own mother.

"It will not be easy," he continued, trying to sound as inspiring as possible. "As you know, he is capable of using his unusual abilities to inflict great damage. But only if we are unprepared. We must use the element of surprise to ensure our success. The first wave will need to distract and weaken him in order to prevent him from using his Force powers. However, as soon as you have the kill shot, take it.

"Traitors deserve no mercy."

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His world was upside down. Kylo Ren had no idea what to do next. Things were changing whether he wanted them to or not. Like a charging mudhorn, there was no stopping the inevitability of it all. For better or worse, he was awake...awake in a way he had never been before...realized so many things he had ignored for far too long because of anger and resentment. He had shut himself off from his family, his friends, his connection to the Light...and for what?

After watching the message from his mother several times, and crying privately in his room for what felt like hours, he was more confused than ever. Her words filled his heart with dangerous hope, something he had lacked for years now. She said she loved him...forgave him...would abandon her life's work if he only came home to her. Part of him admitted, albeit grudgingly, that a small part of him- that scared, sad, lonely little boy- wanted nothing more than to go home and act as if nothing in the past several years had even happened. To feel his mother's arms embrace him, feel cared for, feel loved… his lonely soul practically cried out for it.

But immediately the Dark Side would whisper in his other ear, memories of Snoke's words. '_She sent you away, my boy. She didn't want to bother with you. You weren't important enough to her- definitely not more important than her commitment to her work. There is no life for you back there. You know it. Now, you must accept it. There is no going back."_

He took a deep breath and decided he needed to get out of his room, get his mind off of it all. If possible, he needed to gain some clarity. He headed to the command room that overlooked the vast ship hangar filled end to end, floor to ceiling with the most advanced tie fighters and various other military vessels. It was his- all of it, under his control. He alone controlled the fate of countless worlds… countless lives. He could have anything he wanted.

Except happiness.

He inhaled deeply and exhaled in a huff as he surveyed this portion of his vast empire. All of this, and he was not the least bit satisfied.

"I told you, without someone to share it with, life is meaningless."

Kylo turned around to see Luke, once again, in all of his Force ghost glory, standing behind him. Quickly, he checked to see if anyone else was in the room. Luckily, they were alone- at least, for now.

"Don't you have something better to do?" Kylo asked in annoyance, crossing his arms and staring back out the large viewing window to the hangar below.

Luke chuckled. "Nah. I have all the time in the world now," he replied jokingly, before adding seriously, "but you don't."

Kylo snapped his head to look at his uncle questioningly, but refused to ask exactly what that statement meant.

"You need to make a decision, Ben. The Light is reaching out to you. It sent Rey. It sent your mother's message." Kylo's face showed his obvious surprise. Luke nodded his head. "Yes, I know a lot of things. It's a perk of my new 'position'."

The younger man composed himself, trying to maintain his terse demeanor. "Why would I give up all of this?" he asked, gesturing to the hangar and all around him. "I have more power than anyone else in the entire galaxy."

Luke's face showed pity. "And without love, you have nothing," he replied softly. "Ben, you don't know what the future holds. You don't even know what the next hour holds. What if all of this was gone?" Luke asked, spreading his arms wide as if to encompass all of the First Order.

The words knocked Kylo off-kilter, but he tried to recover. "I'm the Supreme Leader," he spat back curtly, doing his best to hide the effect Luke's words were having on him.

"Hmmm… true… for now," Luke contemplated. "I heard a saying once that there is always a bigger fish...someone to come along and be just a little stronger, a little better, a little _**more**_ than you.

"To love and let yourself be loved are the greatest riches life has to offer. A lesson the Jedi of old chose to ignore. At the end of the day, the end of your life, that is what endures- your love for others and theirs for you. Make the right choice, Ben. I know you don't believe it right now, but you deserve to be happy."

He smiled one last smile of compassion and then faded away leaving the weight of his words lying heavy on Kylo's heart.

His shoulders slumped. What was he supposed to do? Part of him considered all that Luke, Rey and his mother had been suggesting- that it wasn't too late for him to turn away from the Dark Side and go back to the Light. The possibility of all it could offer- forgiveness, companionship, hope, love- was certainly tempting. For too long, he had been alone, immersed in anger, pain, resentment. The thought of letting all of that go, of being free of all the pain, made him think he could actually do it- leave the First Order and go home. **_Home_**… a word that had held no meaning for years. Was it really a possibility?

Then, right on cue, the Dark Side chimed in, reminding him of all of the hard work he had put into helping build the might of the First Order… all of the acts he had committed that were definitely not of the Light Side. How could someone like him- someone who killed his own father- ever be happy? He didn't deserve it. And never would.

He felt himself getting all tangled up inside again. Luke's words seemed to have an underlying sense of urgency, and that transferred to Kylo. He sensed a moment of choosing was imminent, a time when he would have to decide one way or the other. For now, he decided to head back to the training room and take out a few more sparring droids. Smashing things had always helped him deal with stress in the past.

Yes, that's what he would do for now. Later he would make a decision. He turned to leave. As he reached to push the open button, the doors slid apart before he could even make contact. Startled, he reared back and came face to face with a dozen or so Stormtroopers, all of them aiming blasters straight at him. Before he could do anything, he heard someone say, "_Fire!_"

The last thing he remembered was seeing the flash of countless blaster bolts and the smug, smiling face of General Hux glaring down at him before he lost consciousness and everything faded to black.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13-

"I need your help."

Rose looked up from the X-wing she was working on to find Rey standing there with a desperate, serious expression on her face. She wiped her hands on her pants and stepped away from the ship.

"Ok," Rose replied. "What do you need me to do?"

Rey breathed a sigh of relief as if she'd been afraid Rose might refuse. Luckily, their newfound friendship had reached a point where no convincing was required. "I need you to help me fly the Falcon on a… secret mission," Rey explained cryptically.

Rose raised her eyebrows in intrigued curiosity. "Oh? Secret mission, huh? I like the sound of that! It's been a little boring around this place lately. Just let me get some supplies together and run a quick check on the Falcon," she said as she knelt to close her tool box.

"I already did that," Rey stated. "We need to go. _**Now**_," she added with a sense of urgency.

Rose studied her friend for a moment starting to feel the contagious urgency herself. "Ok then," she nodded. "Let's go."

Rey smiled gratefully and the two took off toward the Millennium Falcon waiting at the other end of the Resistance hangar. When they reached the ship, R2-D2 was waiting at the top of the boarding ramp.

"Are we all ready to go, Artoo?" Rey asked the astromech droid as they came on board and made their way to the cockpit. Artoo released a stream of beeps in response as he rolled after them into the powered-up room.

Rose sat in the co-pilot's seat and strapped herself in, flipping the necessary switches to aid with take off. "Why isn't Chewbacca coming?," she asked. He was a permanent fixture on the old Corellian freighter. She'd heard all the stories about how he was Han Solo's longtime companion, never leaving his old friend's side. And he still seemed connected to their old ship.

Rey was busily working the controls on her side, but paused briefly to say, "I don't know if Chewie would be too thrilled with this mission." Then she resumed flight preparations.

What was she getting herself into? Rose wondered. She wasn't sure whether to feel afraid or totally intrigued. For now she decided to just go with it and trust that Rey knew what she was doing. She was a Jedi after all. In another moment, the Falcon lifted up and Rey skillfully piloted it out of the hangar.

Almost instantly a voice crackled over the comm unit. "Falcon, this is headquarters. You do not have clearance for departure." It was Poe Dameron's voice. Rose watched Rey's face and could tell she was debating whether to reply. That made Rose a little nervous.

"Question," Rose ventured. "Is this mission officially sanctioned?" Why she bothered to ask, she didn't know because she already knew the answer. Rey simply looked at her with pleading eyes. "Oh, great."

Rey pushed the comm button. "It's me, Poe."

Poe responded immediately. "Rey?! What are you doing? Where are you going? It's not been verified that the orbit is clear for take off. You need to come back now!"

"There is something I have to do. Tell Leia—," she paused, "tell her that it's time," Rey finished mysteriously before switching off the comm. She turned to Rose. "As soon as we clear orbit, punch in those coordinates and kick us into hyperspace. We don't have any time to waste." Her last sentence was spoken softly, and Rose could sense the worry in her friend's voice.

"Got it."

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Soon enough they entered hyperspace headed toward this so-called mission Rey was on. They did not speak except to comment on the ship's progress. Rey seemed entirely lost in her thoughts. Rose even caught her sitting with her eyes closed and assumed it was some Jedi meditation thing. She knew Rey had been studying some old Jedi books as part of her training. Regardless, this was no joyride. It was something very dire and was somehow connected to General Organa, too.

Finally, they exited hyperspace. Rey was wide-eyed and on high alert as the blue lines ended and deposited them right in front of a First Order command ship.

Rose gasped. "Oh, my gosh! Where are we?! Did you know this is where we would end up?!" Her faith in her friend was suddenly wavering.

Rey tensed up, keeping her focus out of the viewport at the giant ship off in the distance. "We should be small enough to avoid much notice. Hopefully," she added weakly. "Look for an escape pod. I'll keep us away from that ship!"

Rose monitored the radar as Rey tried to fly casually, avoiding notice of the First Order ship. But then she jerked the Falcon quickly to the left, and Rose looked up to see several tie fighters headed straight for them.

"Anything yet?" Rey asked worriedly, skillfully piloting them away from a pair of ties that had broken off and sped up. Rose forced herself to look back down at the monitors and there it was— at the edge of the screen, a tiny blip that indicated what Rey was looking for.

"There!" Rose exclaimed. "Over to the right. It looks like those fighters are as interested in that pod as you are."

Fear flashed in Rey's eyes as she realized the same fact. "Go man the guns," she told Rose. "We have to get rid of those ships."

Rose nodded once and took off toward the quad laser turret down below. As quickly as she could, she buckled in and took hold of the firing controls. It took a moment to get her bearings since the device was very touchy, but soon she was ready to blast some tie fighters.

"All ready!" She yelled into her headset, and immediately the Falcon dove and juked as it deftly avoided the oncoming fighters. Rose let off a few shots prematurely, missing her target. Thankfully, she had recently upgraded the Falcon's shields herself, so she wasn't too worried when they took a hit.

At least not yet.

She needed to slow her mind down and focus if she wanted to be of any use. The meditation thing seemed to help Rey, so Rose took a deep breath, reached up to touch the necklace lying at her throat, then looked back to her targeting computer to find a tie fighter sitting right in the sweet spot. She pushed the trigger button once...twice...three times and let out an exuberant, "YES!," when an explosion filled her viewport.

"Good job!" Rey's voice sounded in her headset. "Now do that again!" Using a few more expert flying moves, Rey easily lined up easy shots for Rose to take out two more fighters. Only one remained.

Suddenly Rey cried out, "Nooooo!", and Rose saw the last tie fighter land a shot on the escape pod. She felt Rey's desperation and knew she had to do something. Whoever was in that pod had to be important enough for Rey to risk her life. With determined resolve, Rose stared at her targeting screen, willing that last fighter to drift into range.

And then it did.

Rose wasted no time. She relentlessly fired the lasers until the bright light of the exploding ship was nearly gone. She slumped back in her seat and smiled in satisfaction. "Let's go get your pod." When she returned to the cockpit, Rey was already maneuvering the Falcon close enough to snag the other small craft.

"Take the controls and hold it steady," Rey said. "I'm going to get it loaded on board."

Rose steadied the Falcon and watched the monitors. So far no more fighters were headed their way, but she had an uneasy feeling that bit of luck might not last. The ship jolted as Rey closed the loading doors. Rose tried to contain her curiosity about who exactly was in that escape pod. Who could warrant such a risky rescue? A Resistance fighter escaped from the First Order, she assumed. It was obviously someone Rey held in high regard if she was willing to go through all of this.

"Rose!" Rey yelled from the docking hatch area. "I need your help down here, quick!"

"On my way!" She ran out of the cockpit and around to the other side of the ship to find Rey bent over pulling someone out of the pod. From this position she could not see who it was, but then she took a few steps further in and stopped dead in her tracks.

"That's—," she sputtered. "That's Kylo Ren!," she said in disbelief. "_**Supreme Leader of the First Order**_ Kylo Ren!"

"Yeah," Rey said trying to pull him completely free of the pod. "I know," she grunted. "A little help, please."

Rose reluctantly moved to help by grabbing hold of his legs that were still stuck inside. "This is who we're rescuing?" She still couldn't believe it.

"Keep pulling," Rey replied.

The two continued tugging with all their might but made little progress.

"Wow. He's a big boy," Rose observed, pushing her hair out of her eyes. The fact that he was unconscious and nothing but total dead weight wasn't helping matters.

"We just need to get him to a bed in the crew quarters," Rey explained, continuing to pull hard underneath his arms. It took a lot of effort, both rescuers working up a sweat, but they finally got him into one of the bunks. Rose stepped back and had to take a few deep breaths.

"I assume you have a good explanation for this, but it can wait. He doesn't look too good." As she took a long glance at the figure in black lying unconscious, she noticed several nasty looking wounds. His lip was bleeding as was a gash on his temple, and his cheek was already starting to bruise. Then there were multiple blaster burns on his arm, leg, chest. He was not in good shape. Not at all.

She turned to Rey who was apparently noticing the same things because she looked like she might burst into tears at any moment. Just then a series of loud beeps came from Artoo up in the cockpit, snapping Rey back to the reality of their situation.

"More tie fighters are coming," she explained, taking off toward the cockpit. As soon as they arrived, they could see a line of tie fighters streaming out of the belly of the larger command ship. They were tiny and still some distance away, but would soon be within range.

"Looks like they want their escape pod back," Rose commented. "We have to get out of here!"

Rey agreed. She quickly punched in some new coordinates to the navigational computer and launched them into hyperdrive. Bright blue streaks of light filled their view and the First Order was left behind. She stood and started to leave. However, she stopped and turned back to catch Rose's gaze. "Thank you," she said softly.

Rose smiled and nodded her 'you're welcome.' Then Rey left to check on her "secret mission."

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"What did they do to you?" Rey whispered as she looked down at the sleeping Ben Solo— and that was how she thought of him. Not as Kylo Ren, Supreme Leader of the First Order— master of the dark side. No. He was Ben to her.

She pulled out the Falcon's med-kit, woefully under-supplied with not nearly enough bacta patches for all of his wounds. Where to start? She wondered. Quickly evaluating his injuries, she decided to start with the blaster burn on his chest. It appeared to be just to the right of his heart. Another two inches and he might not be alive. She was amazed he'd been able to get himself on board the escape pod and get it launched in the first place.

She was equally amazed she had found him at all. The memory of their last Force bond moment was etched in her mind. She had been practicing with Finn in the training room, when suddenly there he was looking at her, blood dripping from the wounds on his face.

"_Rey," he muttered weakly, barely able to get the word out._

"_Ben!" She exclaimed, dropping her practice staff onto the floor._

_He looked at her, wobbly on his legs, and simply said, "Escape pod." And then he was gone._

_She left Finn standing befuddled as she took off running down the corridors of the base._

"_No!" Rey cried, trying to will the Force to bring him back into view, but it didn't work. "Ben," she said with tears filling her eyes. She wiped them away and took another path. Closing her eyes she reached out through the Force, not to see him, but just to feel him— get a sense of where he was. She calmed her mind and steadied her breathing...inhale...exhale … inhale… exhale…_

_Her eyes popped open and she smiled with resolve. Grabbing her comm link, she contacted R2-D2. "Artoo, ready the Falcon for take off." And then she was off to find Rose._

Now they had found him in time, but she had to address those wounds quickly. She pulled carefully at his cape until it came free and tossed it aside. Next were his gloves. As the right one slipped off, she was instantly transported back to that touch in the hut on Ahch-To, her reaching out to him not knowing what to expect, and him reaching back— their fingers barely making contact. Nothing had been the same since that moment.

She needed to focus. Grabbing at a blast hole in his shirt, she ripped it apart to reveal more of the injury. He moaned in pain and she flinched in response. "I'm sorry," she whispered in his ear. Then she went to work treating and bandaging all of his wounds, blaster burns first. She used the few bacta patches on those, saving the plain bandages and antiseptic cream for the rest. As she tended to him, she noticed all of his scars, knowing full well the origin of many of them. A saber burn on his left shoulder. A crossbow blast on his left side. The long, narrow scar that started above his brow and traveled down the right side of his chest. And now he would have more.

Several minutes later, she was finishing the clean up of the gash on his head when his eyes opened. When she pressed down on the damp gauze to dab away the dried blood, he flinched and she finally noticed he was awake and looking around.

"Where am I?" he asked in that low, familiar voice that lived in her dreams.

"You're safe," she answered, leaning back as he cautiously pushed himself up to a seated position on the bunk. He grimaced and settled himself as comfortably as he could. Continuing to study his surroundings, a light of recognition lit his eyes.

"Are we on the Falcon?," he said with a mix of contempt and something else Rey couldn't quite put her finger on. Was it regret? Sadness? Fear?

"Yes."

He remained silent for a long while and Rey sat still on the edge of his bunk waiting for him to say more. Finally he did.

"Why? Why did you come for me?"

Their eyes locked and she could see it again— that sad, lonely soul longing for acceptance.

"You know why," she said simply.

Ben's breath hitched almost imperceptibly and he didn't look away.

"What happened?" Rey asked. "How?"

A look of pure hatred contorted his face. "Hux," he spat out. "That traitor's been waiting for a chance to betray me for years."

"And I'm guessing he got that chance," Rey added. Ben snarled and looked away, but only momentarily.

"Are you taking me back to the Resistance?"

"No," she answered. "I don't trust you with them."

He looked at her in surprise. "Smart choice."

She huffed at his arrogance. "I also don't trust them not to kill you on sight," she added with a haughty lift of her eyebrows.

Ben snorted. "They might try," he boasted.

"And they might succeed. Clearly, the First Order almost did. You're lucky I found you in time."

Soundly chastised, he sobered instantly and shifted in the bed, grabbing his arm and gritting his teeth in pain. "So where are you taking me then?"

How much should she tell him? It was probably best not to reveal all just yet. "Somewhere safe and that's all you need to know for now." She stood up to go. "In the meantime, you need to rest. Those bacta patches should work fairly quickly, but you should stay in bed until we get there."

He almost resisted her attempts to order him around, but he was feeling rather light-headed. Resting would probably be a good thing, so he nodded in agreement and settled more comfortably onto the bunk.

"I'll be back to check on you in a bit," she explained, "but if you need anything before then, just call on the comm pad. It's right over-"

"I know where it is," he interrupted with a scowl. Too late she realized her blunder. Of course he knew where everything was on board this ship. He'd grown up on the Falcon. Chewbacca was probably the only other person alive who knew it better than he did.

"Well, then," she recovered sheepishly, "try to get some rest."

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Kylo watched her exit the quarters, and then leaned back into the pillow trying to get comfortable. After several attempts, he finally managed to position himself in a way that caused the least amount of pain. Closing his eyes, he started drifting off to sleep.

"Rey, what in the world are you doing?!"

The unfamiliar voice came blaring through the comm pad, jolting him out of his near-sleep. Wincing in pain again, he realized whomever it was talking did not notice their end of the connection was open.

"He is the _enemy_!" the voice continued. "Why are you helping him?"

Kylo couldn't help but listen, considering the link was open. However, he found he definitely wanted to hear the rest of this conversation.

"I- I don't know, really." It was Rey's voice. "I mean, he is Leia's son, you know."

"And also the Leader of the First Order!" the other speaker exclaimed. "He's dangerous! You yourself told me how he tried to kill you and Finn. And how he did kill his own father! Rey, I don't know if this is such a good idea."

Kylo admitted the girl was right about all of it. So why was Rey helping him?

"Rose, all I know is the Force is telling me to help him. It keeps putting us in each other's paths, so that must be for a reason."

He considered the truth of Rey's words. The Force did seem to keep bringing them together. At this point, it could not possibly be mistaken for mere coincidence. He was not sure of its endgame, but right now he was helpless to resist its plan. And did he even want to?

"But aren't you afraid of him? How could you possibly trust him?" Rose continued, trying her best to talk sense into her friend. "What are you going to do with him? Take him back as a prisoner?"

He snorted at the absurdity of her suggesting that he could be kept captive by anyone.

"He's not a prisoner,' Rey answered. "And I'm not taking him back to the Resistance. For now I'm just going to take him somewhere to heal. After that…" she paused. "Well, I don't know exactly what I'll do then. I'll figure it out later."

Somewhere to heal? Where would that be?

"And I'm not afraid of him." He heard the softness in her voice. "I can't explain it, but I know he won't hurt me."

Grudgingly, he admitted to himself that she was right. Despite how upset he had been when she refused to join him in Snoke's throne room, she was now the last person he would ever want to harm. He did not want to examine the reason for that and its implications too closely right now.

A few moments of silence passed, and he assumed their conversation had ended. However, he was wrong.

Rose gasped softly as if understanding of some kind just dawned on her. "You care about him, don't you?" she asked Rey.

Instantly, his ears perked up as he eagerly awaited the answer. Why was his heart beating faster all of a sudden? Unfortunately, no response from Rey- only silence. In a few seconds, Rose spoke again.

"You don't have to answer. I get it," she said, "kind of." She chuckled. "We don't always get to choose who we care about. Sometimes, it just happens. I just hope you know what you're doing."

Kylo waited for several more minutes, but their discussion was truly finally over. He sighed. Settling back down as carefully as he could, exhausted in body and mind, he finally drifted off to sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14-

A while later, Rose noticed the ship's comm was switched to the 'on' position. She made the choice not to tell Rey of the possibility that Kylo Ren had heard their entire conversation from earlier, and simply switched it off. Glancing over at Rey in the pilot's chair, she noticed her friend seemed lost in her thoughts. And no wonder. Possibly having feelings for your enemy certainly complicated matters. She had so many questions. May as well ask some.

"So," she said, breaking the silence that filled the cockpit, "where are we going if not back to the base?"

Rey jolted out of deep introspection and glanced quickly at her friend. Straightening up in her seat, she started checking the controls and monitors in front of her, trying to avoid further direct eye contact.

"_You're_ going back to the base," Rey stated. "After you drop us off, take the Falcon back to the Resistance. I've already pre-programmed the return coordinates into the navicomputer for you."

Rose was confused. "You want me to just leave you somewhere with no ship?" she asked. "How will you get back without a ship? And- and what about _**him**_?" she added, pointing back toward the crew quarters which currently contained the wounded leader of their opposing force.

"Don't worry," Rey tried to reassure her. "As soon as I'm ready to come back, I'll signal you with one of these." She held up two beacon bracelets, similar to the ones Leia had given her nearly a year ago when she went looking for Luke, and handed one to Rose.

However, Rose couldn't hide her worried expression. "So you'll just be stranded wherever we're going? With him?!"

Rey reached over and placed a hand on her friend's knee, offering her most reassuring smile. "Trust me. It'll be okay. Besides, Leia will need you there as soon as possible." Finally, Rose nodded in acceptance. Rey took a deep breath and stood up. "I'm going to check on our... _prisoner_," she announced with a wink.

Bracing herself for their impending interaction, she made the short walk back to the crew quarters. When they first met, their every encounter had been fraught with yelling insults and accusations at each other, followed often by fighting of some kind. But now, it was different...unsettling in a way that left her on edge and anxious, as if it was all building to some inevitable flashpoint.

When she entered the crew quarters, the first thing she noticed was the empty bunk. Whirling around, she felt herself starting to panic. Where was he? Just then, she heard the swish of the refresher door open. Ben stopped abruptly, one hand on the door frame, when he saw her standing there. Their eyes locked for a moment, and then she looked down at the floor when she felt her face heat up. That quick glance at him standing there, shirt ripped right down the middle, revealing his muscled chest, affected her instantly. It brought to mind one of their early Force bond connections when he had appeared shirtless in his own quarters.

"I-," she stuttered, "I just- I just came to see if you were all right."

He dropped the hand bracing himself on the door frame and took a step forward, immediately regretting it. He grimaced in pain and grabbed his left side. Rey rushed to him and threw her arm around him to help him make it back to the bunk.

"I'm fine," he said through gritted teeth.

Rey scoffed. "_Obviously_. Here, put some of your weight on me."

"I'm too heavy," he said, half-heartedly resisting her efforts. She seemed so slight next to him.

She stopped and glared up at him. "Will you please just let me help you?"

He could see the exasperation in her face and finally nodded his head in assent. She resumed her efforts and they finally made it to the bunk. He carefully sat down on the side of it and caught his breath. The short walk had drained more of his strength than he had anticipated. She made sure he was securely seated, then left to get him a cup of water.

"Here, drink this," she told him. He made no move to take it, and she rolled her eyes. "Stop being so stubborn and just take it." She practically shoved it into his hand.

He felt the unfamiliar urge to...smile. "I'm not used to being ordered around," he muttered, bringing the cup to his lips for a drink to hide the hint of a grin.

She smiled slightly and moved to retrieve the first-aid kit from a nearby table. "I'll ignore that comment seeing as you're injured," she replied playfully. "As long as you do what I say." This time he did smile- just the tiniest little smile- still hidden by the cup. No one had ever challenged him in such a way. It was actually...enjoyable.

Memories of his parents bantering back and forth, teasing one another, popped into his head. It was embedded into their relationship and seemed to be one of the ways they showed affection. He remembered his father often purposely saying something to rile his mother up. He liked her "spirit", or so he said. He also remembered his father once telling him, "_I knew your mother was the woman for me when she called me a 'flyboy' and told me to jump into that garbage chute!" _

Rey returned to stand in front of him and took the cup from his hand. "Let me check that blaster burn. We probably need to change that bacta patch again." Without thinking, she grabbed the ripped edge of his black shirt to pull it out of the way so she could tend to his worst wound. He grimaced and flinched. She jerked her hand back. "I'm so sorry," she offered apologetically. "I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay," he replied. 'It's just a little sore."

She snorted a huff and then bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud.

He furrowed his brow. "What?" he asked. "Is my pain funny to you?" He was a little hurt at her seeming delight in his misery.

"No! No...I'm sorry. Really, I'm not laughing at you," she explained. "It just struck me funny is all. After all you've gone through, you're lucky to be alive, and all you can say is you're just a 'little sore?' Um, I should think so." She ducked her head to recapture his gaze. "Do you forgive me?" she asked teasingly.

It was a loaded question. Was she just referring to this moment? Or something more?

"Depends on how gentle you are when you rip this old patch off," he replied.

She smiled, and he noticed that mischievous twinkle in her eyes, and had to admit- he liked it.

"Cross my heart, I'll do my best," she promised, using her fingers to actually criss-cross her heart for added emphasis.

Conceding, he leaned back on his hands to grant her better access to his injury. He knew she had applied the current patch, but he had not been very coherent when first brought on board. Now, though, he was fully aware of how close she was, working so carefully to see to his wound. While she worked, he observed her. She was trying her best not to hurt him, concentrating by biting her bottom lip. When she touched his chest in an effort to remove the old bandage, he flinched. Not in pain, though. Their eyes met and locked. She felt it too, then. Any time they touched, it was electric.

"Did I hurt you?" she questioned quietly, without removing her hand. He shook his head wordlessly, so she resumed her task. All too soon, she was finished and backing away to admire her handiwork. "The bacta seems to be working. The burn looks less angry than it first did. I just wish we had more patches," she said in dismay.

"It's fine," he assured her. "And...thank you… for this...and for... coming to find me." He really was no good at this whole gratitude thing, but felt the need to try anyway.

She stepped closer, stopping only when she was standing right in front of him seated on the side of the bunk. Any closer and she would have been sitting on his lap. That image made his cheeks turn to fire.

"You're welcome," she said softly, still not taking her eyes away from him. It felt like there was more to be said, but he wasn't sure what it was.

Rey took a deep breath, and then so did he. Anticipation hung heavy in the air between them. Cautiously, she reached out her hand, and he followed its path with his eyes as she moved to place it over his hand that was resting on his leg. He inhaled quickly as that charge jolted through him at her touch. She started to speak.

"Ben, I-"

"Rey!" It was Rose's voice coming over the comm. "We're getting ready to come out of hyperspace."

At the unexpected interruption, Rey snatched her hand away and stepped back in embarrassment. She hastened over to the comm panel and replied.

"On my way," she said. With what he thought was a look of disappointment in her eyes, she gave him one last glance and took off toward the cockpit.

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Kylo sighed deeply when Rey moved out of sight. Every time she was around, he said and did things he could not explain. She unnerved him...distracted him from his usual laser-sharp focus. This time had left him totally discombobulated. What would he be like if she was around all the time?

A series of beeps drew his attention back to the doorway. There stood R2D2, one of his family's deeply devoted droids. The sight of the little astromech stirred up bittersweet emotions. He swallowed hard, not knowing what to say. Artoo rolled further into the room stopping right in front of him.

"Artoo," he finally said. The droid's head spun and clicked as more beeps sounded in greeting.

"Yes, it has been a long time," Kylo replied sheepishly. Did droids hold grudges?, he wondered. This one had been Luke's sidekick for as long as Kylo could remember. From the time Kylo could walk until he left the Jedi temple in anger and shame, Artoo had been a constant fixture, inconspicuously observing from the sidelines.

Another few beeps sounded as the droid posed a question that Kylo was rather surprised to hear come from him. It was a simple question. "_Are you going home now?_"

Kylo was dumbfounded. He hung his head and considered the question. Eventually, he would have to answer it. He'd been asking himself the same one ever since he first lifted off in his old ship, the fiery structures of Luke's temple academy burning to ash behind him.

He looked at the little droid and said sadly, "Where is home anymore?"

A sorrowful, little groan came from Artoo, echoing the current state of Kylo's heart. In a moment, his projector light switched on, displaying a holo-image right next to Kylo on the bunk. It was a recording of a time long ago when his parents, Chewie, Luke and Lando had gathered to fondly reminisce about their days fighting against the Empire. He remembered it well. He had been about seven at the time and listened raptly, entranced by their tales. The parts about his father making near-impossible flying maneuvers in dire situations were always his favorite since he had planned on being a great pilot like Han Solo. It had once been his greatest wish. He looked away. It hurt too much to remember.

He heard another click and beep and then Rey's voice.

"_Chewie, I have to go to him," she said. This was a newer recording. She was bustling around in preparation for something. She paused in her efforts to explain herself to the Wookiee. "I saw his future. It was good and bright."_

It dawned on him then. She was talking about him.

"_Luke was wrong. Kylo's fate is not set in stone. He doesn't have to stay on the Dark Side. He needs to know someone still cares about him...that there's still a chance."_

_Chewie growled in response. "So you care about him? Even after all he's done?"_

_She looked up at the mighty Wookiee and said simply, "I do."_

Then the image dissipated and Artoo spun around and rolled out the door. For a moment, Kylo could only sit and stare at the wall, fighting back the tremble in his bottom lip. Too many emotions- surprisingly, none of them anger, for once- were swirling like a maelstrom inside making him feel like he might crumble.

Just then he felt the ship lurch, signalling its exit from hyperspace. The sudden movement caused him a bit of pain. He eased himself up to a standing position and headed for the cockpit. Time to see where she was taking him.

The going was slow, each step placed carefully as he braced himself on the wall as he walked. He was concentrating so intently on avoiding pain that he was not paying much attention to his surroundings. But no matter. He knew the way by heart, just like he knew every single nook and cranny of his father's old ship. The Falcon was practically another member of the Solo family.

Family.

Kylo recalled his last time on board and felt a twinge of pain in his heart. Starkiller Base- before...before his father's...death. He paused and looked around. That day the ship had truly shown her age, having obviously been neglected for years. Now, however, he noted, it was clear someone was taking care of her again. She looked clean, organized, and repaired. His father would have appreciated knowing the Falcon was being looked after.

In just a few more steps, he could see the door to the cockpit. So many memories flooded his mind, but he forced them out. As he stepped inside, one of the occupants turned to look at him.

"Oh!" exclaimed the unfamiliar one sitting in the co-pilot's chair. "You're...up." She looked a bit unsure of his presence.

Rey turned to find him standing behind the passenger chair, holding himself up with obvious strain. He still looked pale. His ordeal had taken more out of him than he would ever admit. She jumped up and moved to help him settle into the seat.

"Here, let me help," she said. This time he didn't resist. "You should be lying down resting," she added in concern.

Rose was observing the pair closely, completely befuddled by this whole situation and the duo's mysterious relationship. When and how had it even happened? Kylo was looking up at Rey, their eyes locked in something unspoken. Rose could feel the palpable tension between the two. Did they even realize how transparent their actions were? Rey's desperation to rescue him was starting to make more sense.

"Is that where we're going?" he asked, glancing past Rey out the viewport. Growing larger by the second was a planet covered in blue with a smattering of green indicating a water planet with only a minimal amount of land. "The island," he added softly, looking back at Rey in surprise, "the one in your dreams."

She nodded silently, surprised he remembered from their first interaction in Starkiller Base's interrogation room.

Rose had no idea what they were talking about. They seemed to be speaking of things only the two of them knew, one of which was, interestingly, her friend's dreams. "Um, care to clue me in?" she interjected. "We're coming in fast and need to find a place to land."

Kylo and Rey both looked a little sheepish, as if they just realized they were not alone. Rey quickly settled back into the pilot's seat and checked the controls. Rose turned around in her chair to get an even better look at this Supreme Leader.

"Hello. I'm Rose, by the way," she declared, trying to sound unaffected by his rather imposing presence.

Kylo was somewhat taken aback. When was the last time he had been introduced cordially to someone who wasn't a simpering sycophant? How should he reply? He nodded once in acknowledgment, but couldn't decide exactly how to respond. '_**I'm Kylo Ren, Supreme Leader of the First Order, Master of the Knights of Ren, Heir to Darth Vader' **_sounded a tad presumptuous.

Luckily, Rose saved him the trouble. "Don't worry. I know who you are," she said from her seat while punching buttons on her console.

'_At least someone does,_' he thought to himself.

The two women began chattering about landing procedures so he just sat back and tried to be comfortable.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15-

Not long after, the two women landed the Falcon on a small, rocky outcropping on one side of a rather small island. As they were securing the systems and landing gear, Rose gazed out the viewport. The island was lushly green, with rocky hills, one of which rose high into the air in jagged points. She noted only two signs of civilization- a small cluster of stone huts high up on a hill they had flown past on their way to land and another cluster not far down a beach from where they finally came to rest.

"What is this place?" she asked Rey, who was checking her supply bag.

"Ahch-To," she replied as she worked.

"Where Luke was hiding." It wasn't a question. Both women stopped to look at Ben when he uttered those four words. He was easing himself out of the seat and moving up to stare out at the place in front of them. His eyes shifted to meet Rey's, silently asking her to validate his inference.

"Yes," she answered in surprise. "It's remote enough that we should be safe here. You can heal, and then…," she paused. "Then you can do whatever you feel you need to do." She cinched the bag closed and flung it over her shoulder. "Are you ready?" she asked.

He was standing on his own now with more color back in his face than there was earlier. She hoped he could manage the trek to the Caretaker village. There was no way he was strong enough to to make the hike all the way up to the Jedi huts just yet. Hopefully, the island natives, the Lanai, would agree to help him despite their previous disdain for her. He moved slowly down the landing ramp and stopped at the bottom where Rey and Rose were waiting. Noticing the grimace on his face, she knew it was taking a lot out of him.

"Here, Rose," she said, switching her bag to the opposite arm. "You take that side and I'll take this one." She slid her arm around Ben's wounded side as carefully as she could. He started to protest and pull away, but Rey kept a firm grip on him. "Just take the help," she demanded with a stern gaze. He nodded in surrender.

Rose stepped hesitantly to his other side, completely unsure of the entire situation. Rey sent her a look that said loud and clear, '_Please, just help him.'_ So, Rose Tico, staring up at the Supreme Leader of the First Order, slid her arm behind his back to offer whatever support her rather diminutive frame could supply.

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Ben said nothing as they started off toward the primitive-looking village visible down the beach. He wouldn't know what to say anyway, so he concentrated on not slipping on any of the rocks as they descended to the sandy shore. He hated feeling so weak. It was all Hux's fault, and when he was all healed the traitorous weasel would pay dearly. 'I should have Force choked him when I had that last chance,' he mused to himself.

As they walked, he noticed how short the two women were compared to him, Rose especially. Rey barely reached his shoulders, and Rose was several inches shorter than that. Glancing down at Rey's head, he started to wonder. Why was she really helping him? What would she do once he was healed? Would she leave him again? Expect him to come with her? As if sensing he was thinking of her, she looked up at him and smiled. The corner of his mouth began to tug at the corner, a smile struggling to escape, but she glanced away too quickly to notice.

Rose was starting to huff and puff, straining to hold him up as they walked. "You...are very...big," she exclaimed, almost out of breath.

Just then the sound of approaching voices diverted their attention forward. The welcoming party arrived, and Rey recognized the two female Caretakers from her time with Luke. They had usually been fussing at her in exasperation over some mistake she had made, like blasting a hole in a hut or slicing a huge boulder in half and sending it plummeting dangerously down a hillside. They were chattering away at their visitors, but Rey had never been able to understand their language like Luke could. Somehow, she knew, they understood her, but she would need more time to master their foreign tongue.

"Hello," she began. "I don't know if you remember me, but I'm-"

Immediately, the taller of the two females whom Luke called the Matron, interrupted Rey and started rattling off a string of words while gesturing to the Falcon, then Ben, and then their village.

Rey tried again. "Could you please help us? You see, he is-"

She was cut off again, only this time it was by Ben. "She said we should come into the village," he said. "They have a healer."

She stared at him in disbelief. "You- you can understand them?"

Ben shrugged. "Can't you?" She shook her head no in confusion.

The Caretakers motioned for them to follow, so they did. Upon entering the village, it seemed all of its inhabitants were gathered to meet the visitors. Several younglings peeked out at them from behind their mothers' skirts. However, one brave tike dared to approach the trio. She toddled right over to Ben, stopped and looked up, up, up to meet his eyes. He gazed down, raising an inquisitive eyebrow at the tiny being, not knowing what to expect. Truth be told, he had never spent much time around young children. She reached out and grabbed only one of his fingers since her little hand was way too small to grasp his entire over-sized one. He didn't move at first- just looked at Rey and then back to the little girl.

"Come on," she ordered, pulling on his immovable mass. Realizing what she wanted, he finally started to follow. The other Caretakers walked behind them, while Rey and Rose could only stare, stunned at the sight of the big man towering over the village natives.

After a brief silence, Rose finally spoke. "What is happening?"

Rey chuckled. "I'm not entirely sure."

Rose noticed her friend staring at Kylo Ren and rolled her eyes. It was plain as day that Rey had feelings for him. Whether or not she herself thought her friend should care about this man, who by all accounts had perpetrated some pretty horrible things, she knew that sometimes one's heart had a mind of its own.

"So," she started, the simple word pulling Rey's attention away from Ben. "That's how it is then."

Rey instantly turned the slightest shade of pink, realizing she had been caught in the act of staring at him. "I don't know what you mean," she said unconvincingly, unwilling to meet Rose's eyes.

Rose grinned. "Of course you don't. I would love to hear the story of how this whole..thing came to be. He is the LEADER of our enemy forces, after all."

Rey shifted her bag from one shoulder to the other and took a deep breath. "It's...it's complicated," she stated. "_**He**_ is complicated." She was still staring at Ben, a look of longing displayed unknowingly on her face.

"Yeah, and he's also all muscular and...large. How did Leia produce something like that? She's so small, and he's just so...big." Rey turned and grinned shyly. "Rey, I don't want to tell you what to do, but I also wouldn't be a very good friend if I didn't ask again if you're sure about this. I know you said you're just bringing him somewhere to heal, by the looks of his injuries, he needs it. Obviously, someone really wanted him dead. But can you truly trust him? You know, I can stay with you. I don't have to go back."

Rey smiled warmly at Rose's sincere concern. Having people in her life who truly cared about her was still a somewhat new experience. She reached over to grab Rose's hand. "Thank you, Rose," she said. "You're a good friend, but I'll be okay. Do you have the tracking bracelet I gave you?" Rose nodded. "Good. Artoo will help get you back to the base and the return coordinates are already plugged into his programming. Leia's going to need your help."

Rose smiled appreciatively. "What should I tell her about all of this?" she asked.

Rey paused for a moment before answering. "Tell her I'm doing my best to bring back her hope."

Rose pulled her friend into a big farewell hug. "Be careful."

Rey replied, "He's not going to hurt me, Rose."

"Yeah, well, maybe not physically, but just stay on your guard. Don't let his massive 'assets' cloud your judgment. It could be a little distracting for you."

Rey blushed and chuckled. "I promise to be very wary of his…'assets'." They both laughed out loud before taking one last look at one another.

Rose spoke first. "May the Force be with you."

"You too," Rey said softly. Then Rose turned and started the walk back to the Millennium Falcon. Rey turned in the opposite direction to locate Ben at the other end of the Caretaker village. He was still surrounded by the much shorter natives, standing several feet above them all. It was an amusing sight, she admitted with a grin. Slinging her bag up higher on her shoulder, she sighed and started off to join him and his 'entourage'.

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Kylo was entirely out of his element. Currently, he was sitting in a small hut that had required him to duck down just to get in the door. Standing at his full height, the top of his head practically brushed the ceiling. He felt a little like a clumsy giant trying to move around among these small inhabitants- Caretakers, Rey had called them. It was an appropriate name for them because that's exactly what they were doing- taking care of him.

This was apparently the home of the village healer, who was now bustling around gathering various materials soon to be used on him, he assumed. It had been years since an injury of his had been doctored by a sentient being instead of a medical droid- apart from the recent attention from Rey. He glanced across the short distance to see her sitting and observing what was happening to him with a tiny bit of thinly veiled amusement. Not too long ago, he would never have let himself be put into this position- somewhat helpless with nowhere to go. He sighed in resignation knowing he did not have many other options right now, so he decided to take the help being offered. He would figure out the rest later.

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Rey could feel the moment he finally relaxed and accepted his current state of affairs. It helped to ease some of her own tension. She had been a bit wound up ever since realizing he was first in danger. Now she watched as the healer ordered him to take off his ripped shirt so that she could examine his wounds. Carefully, he eased out of the ragged remnants of the garment, and Rey immediately tensed again. She could not deny her attraction to him anymore. She would be lying to herself if she tried.

The healer started poking and prodding, assessing her patient carefully. She mumbled words to herself that Rey didn't understand. Out of a small clay pot, she stuck in her fingers and pulled out some kind of ointment, gently rubbing it on each of his wounds. Rey could smell it from where she sat on the other side of the room- an herbal, fresh scent that was pungent, but not overly offensive. When she finished, she moved to the small fireplace and retrieved a steaming kettle of water, pouring some into a cup filled with ground up leaves of some kind. She handed it to Ben and gave him instructions. He looked with uncertainty into the cup, clearly not thrilled about drinking its contents. The healer said something else, which Rey surmised amounted to a direct order. He wrinkled his nose and hesitantly took a sip. Instantly, he coughed and sputtered, causing Rey to stifle a laugh. The Caretaker forced the cup back to his lips, urging him to finish the drink, and he did. However, he had to choke it down. The healer took the cup and motioned for him to lie down on the small bed to rest.

He shook his head. "I'm fine. I'm not tired, I-"

She stopped him before he could finish. She would brook no argument, so he lay down- or at least tried to. He was much too big to fit on her short bed. Rey couldn't help it. This time she laughed out loud. Ben glared at her.

"I'm- I'm sorry," she apologized in between snickers of laughter.

"This isn't going to work," he stated, standing up too fast and losing his balance. Rey was instantly there to steady him.

"You really do need to rest," she said, trying not to notice the feel of his warm skin beneath her hands. "Let's just make you a place on the floor."

The Caretaker was already two steps ahead, gathering extra blankets and pillows to ready a place for him to rest. When complete, she gestured for him to lie down. Rey helped him, fluffing pillows and straightening blankets. "There. That should be better."

He looked at her in disbelief. "You don't have to do this," he protested as he laid down. However, his protest was weak and his eyes were already growing heavy. Whatever was in that cup must have been quite potent to affect a big man like him so quickly.

"I've gotten you this far," she said. "No use stopping now."

His eyes were already closed, and she noticed the slightest hint of a lop-sided grin before he fell totally asleep. Rey sat cross-legged on the floor next to him, just staring down at his sleeping form. What in the world was she doing?! What did she think was going to happen? What did she want to happen? Without thinking, she reached down and pushed a strand of hair away from his face. It must have tickled because he wrinkled his nose. She smiled again. Who would have ever thought the two of them would end up like this?

A tap on her shoulder diverted her attention away from him to the Caretaker. She had forgotten they weren't alone. The female handed Rey a pillow and blanket for herself. She thanked the healer, who moved to stoke the fire before leaving the two alone to rest.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Rose exited the Millennium Falcon and was met by a trio of confused faces. Finn was the first to speak. He ran up to her as soon as she stepped off the boarding ramp and pulled her into a big hug. He finally pulled back to look her in the face.

"Where have you been?!" he demanded. Then he glanced behind her searching for something. "Where's Rey?" he questioned.

Poe and Leia approached, awaiting her reply. Leia looked at Rose curiously, their eyes meeting and saying more than words could say. "Leia, she said to tell you that she's trying to bring back your hope."

The men were clueless, but Leia understood exactly what Rose meant. She nodded, smiling gratefully.

Poe was not satisfied. "What does that even mean? Where's Rey? Why isn't she with you?"

Rose hesitated. "I can't tell you where she is, but she's safe. And when she's ready, I'll go pick her up."

Poe scoffed. "What do you mean you can't tell me where she is? I'm ordering you to-"

"Poe," Leia interrupted calmly. He stopped and glared at her. "Let it go."

He frowned. "But she can't just-" he sputtered.

"Poe," Leia repeated. "Leave it."

He huffed. He didn't like it, but he let it drop...for now.

Finn looked at Rose, determined to find out more later. However, right now he was just happy she was back safe and sound. Plus, he had a lot to tell her. So much had happened in the short time she had been gone. He took her hand and said, "Let's go get something to eat and catch up."

Rose liked that idea very much. The past day's events were a blur. There had been no time for eating in between rescuing an enemy leader from his own army and then secreting him away to a far away planet with her friend.

After eating a quick bite, they returned to the command center where Poe and Leia were examining datapads and star maps on the holo-board.

"That makes at least seventeen destroyers now and twenty bases that we have confirmed contacts in," Poe was stating. "This is spreading faster than we could have ever imagined."

Finn chimed in. "Every living soul longs for freedom."

Leia smiled optimistically and nodded in agreement. "You're right, Finn. And this is the best news we've had in a long while."

Poe, however, wasn't quite so convinced of their good fortune. "There is some bad news, too." The others looked at him questioningly. "We received word that the Knights of Ren are back from whatever Kylo Ren had them doing out in the Unknown Regions. And it's never good when they're around."

That killed the mood. The Knights were known to be ruthless thieves and killers. Having them back on the scene did not bode well for the Resistance.

Just then one of Leia's aides entered briskly and brought her a message disk. "General, I think you'll want to see this right away."

Leia took the disk and inserted it into the console. The other three watched her intently, waiting for her to share the news. Rose noticed the change in her expression as she read. Finally, she peered up from the screen, a distraught look on her face- not typical at all for Leia Organa Solo.

"What is it?" Finn asked.

She paused to collect her thoughts before answering. "It's from your contact, Slim. He says that General Hux and a group of Stormtroopers tried to assassinate the Supreme Leader."

Total silence fell in the room. Even though it was no secret that the Supreme Leader of the First Order was also the son of the leader of the Resistance, no one really spoke of it. No one doubted Leia's commitment to the cause.

"They killed him?!" Poe asked in shock.

Leia continued. "It says he was badly injured, but Slim and a few of his friends got him to an escape pod. He doesn't know if Kylo Ren survived."

Leia's usual calm facade faltered. She looked again at Rose, who shook her head ever-so-slightly, trying to let her leader know her son was not gone. Rose sensed her relief.

Finn stared in disbelief. "This is huge! If he really is de-"

"Finn!' Rose stopped him and motioned her head toward Leia to get him to stop his current thought out of compassion for the general. Luckily, he inferred her intent and halted his words.

But it didn't stop Poe. "So then who's in charge of the First Order? Hux? That guy is an idiot, but a dangerous idiot."

"I agree," Finn added.. "He's the one in charge of the Stormtrooper recruitment program. The one who takes kids from their families and forces them to basically become slaves to the First Order." He looked to Leia. "We need to be extra careful. Hux would have no problem executing anyone he thought was a traitor. To him, it is just as easy to replace one body with another."

Leia sighed deeply and nodded. "You're right, Finn." Then she looked back to Rose. "This news changes everything."


	16. Chapter 16

* Author's note: I hope that everyone is staying safe and taking care of yourselves and your loved ones during this difficult time. In the meantime, we can take refuge in stories. :)

Chapter 16-

He was in a cave. It was so dark, he could barely see a few feet in front of him. He turned around and noticed a faint glimmer of light up ahead around a bend. As his eyes gradually grew accustomed to the dimness, he began walking toward it. Something about it felt.._.inviting_...as if something good was waiting there just out of sight. A little smile spread across his face as he picked up his pace, eager to discover what was just ahead. Low and muffled voices came from that direction. He could not hear them clearly, but they sounded familiar. Speeding up, his long legs took the greatest strides they could manage as he became almost desperate to reach the light.

Just as he neared the bend, a strange voice from behind stopped him in his tracks.

"_Do you think you deserve it?"_

He spun around to face the speaker, but came face to face with only empty darkness. "Who's there?" he yelled into the black.

"_The Light,"_ it continued, "_do you really believe you are worthy of it?"_

The voice was male, older by the sound of it, but not one he had heard before. Even so, it gave him a chilling sense of malice. "Who are you?" he asked again, squinting in another effort to see this being.

"_You, Ben Solo...disappointment to your family legacy...murderer of Jedi...Master of the dark Knights of Ren...killer of your own father. How could you ever think you could go back from all of that?"_

The voice bluntly recounted a list of his worst Dark Side acts. Just hearing them spoken aloud made him cringe.

"_You have tremendous power, Kylo Ren,_" it continued, "_only to waste it like an ignorant child."_

He snarled. He hated being called a child.

"_You control the mightiest fighting force in the galaxy and yet here you are- hiding away on a secret island like a coward, contemplating a return to the Light. What can it offer you that compares to what you already have? The Dark Side can give you anything you want...fulfill any desire. The Light only brings eventual pain and heartbreak. You know this to be true. Any time you open your heart in compassion and love, it only weakens you."_

Whoever this voice was, it knew his deepest insecurities and fears. Doubt creeped in. Ben hung his head in shame and defeat, unable to reply. The words were true and reflected what he had believed for years now.

"_You can't go back, my boy,_" it said. "_You can never go back."_

Unable to move, he stood there, stock still, for a few moments, contemplating the words spoken by this unfamiliar voice. The reminder of his past deeds was added to by the many other memories flooding his mind. The guilt weighed heavy on his soul- his irredeemable, blackened soul. He turned back to the illuminated end of the cave. It was suddenly so far away. What had moments ago seemed within his grasp, now seemed utterly out of his reach.

Who was he kidding? The Light would never welcome him back.

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"Ben?"

The soft voice jolted him awake. The sudden movement made him gasp in pain, an immediate reminder of his many injuries.

"Are you okay?" Rey was hovering over him, a worried expression on her face. "I didn't mean to scare you, but I think you were having a bad dream." He pushed himself into a more comfortable position and glanced around the healer's hut, the reality of his current situation storming back in. Rey placed her hand on his shoulder, but pulled it away sheepishly when she noticed him staring awkwardly at it. She smiled hesitantly, obviously waiting for him to respond. The sight of her did things to him-made him start to believe he was someone he wasn't. But the voice in the cave had reminded him of the truth of his brokenness.

"I'm fine," he said curtly, forcing himself to stand. He was a bit wobbly, and, once again, she was right there to help steady him.

"Be careful," she said, grabbing his arm to maneuver him toward the Caretaker's bunk. "You probably shouldn't try to do too much for another day or so." He eased down onto the bedside. Rey quickly retrieved a cup of water. As she handed it to him, their eyes met again. That was happening a lot lately, he realized. He couldn't understand why she was being so kind to him.

"Thank you," he offered quietly. Once he finished, she took the cup and set it back on a table. She returned with the pot of ointment the healer had used the night before.

"Let's put some more of this on. It seems to be helping by the looks of it." She got some on her fingers and started by carefully putting it on his worst blaster burn. As soon as she touched him, he sucked in his breath. She stopped and looked at him questioningly.

"It's cold," he said simply with a raise of his eyebrows.

"I'm sorry!" she replied. She tried rubbing the ointment between her fingers to warm it up before applying more. "Better?" she asked. He nodded and she moved to add more to the gash on his forehead.

He watched her work. Surely, this was just a dream. It was so surreal to be here with her taking care of him. He wasn't used to anyone showing this much concern for him and his well-being. He was afraid to let himself enjoy it.

"Did you sleep okay other than the dream?" she inquired as she tended to him.

"Yes," he answered distractedly, staring at the soft skin between her neck and shoulder, which was now so close. The urge to lean forward and place his lips right there was overwhelming.

Just then the healer entered the hut and went straight to Ben, checking on her patient. She shooed Rey out of her way and evaluated his progress.

"I applied more of the medicine," she explained, feeling the need for approval from the Caretaker for some reason. "I think it's working."

The female glared up at Rey with a scowl and a harumph before returning to her patient. In a few moments, she nodded her okay for Rey's handiwork, then started talking to Ben. When she finished, she retrieved something she had set down on the table when she first entered. It was Ben's shirt. She handed it to him and he unfolded it, noticing that it had been cleaned and repaired. Someone had sewn the ripped edges back together and added a few small patches over the blaster holes and other rips.

Again, unexpected kindness was foreign to him. He wasn't sure how to respond, so he just nodded his thanks and slipped it on. She rattled off another string of words and he stood and started walking to the door. Rey looked at him curiously.

"She said to come outside and have some breakfast," he explained. "Apparently, I need to keep up my strength and you need to put more meat on your bones- her words, not mine," he added with an uncharacteristic twinkle in his eyes.

Rey followed close behind him as they walked to the village center. Some stools and benches were arranged around a communal fire pit, where flames burned low and a few large kettles were warming above it. Making sure Ben was okay, she left to take care of her own personal needs. Upon returning, she stopped dead in her tracks at the sight before her eyes. Ben, still seated near the fire, was surrounded by Caretakers, young and old. In his hands was a plate of food that was immediately refilled if their hosts deemed it too empty. Younglings were vying for a seat close to him, one even pushing another out of the way so he could scramble up quickly next to the big man. Ben looked completely out of his element. It was amusing to see the man who had killed Snoke and fought guards so confidently, now baffled by the attention of these small natives.

He finally noticed her approach and gave her a desperate look. She took a seat on a nearby bench and chuckled quietly. Another Caretaker offered him a cup of something to drink. He peered inside, assessing its contents, surely worried it would be a repeat of the night before. However, he finally took a sip, nodded his approval of its taste, and then gulped the rest down. As he pulled the cup away from his mouth, Rey noticed a flash of green on his upper lip before he wiped it off with the back of his hand. She looked away, smiling with the knowledge of where the green milk had actually come from.

"What?" he asked her, wondering why she was so amused.

"Did you like it?" she responded.

He shrugged and nodded yes. "Not bad. Why?"

"Oh, no reason. No reason at all," she answered cryptically. One of the Caretakers brought her a plate of food and a cup. She thanked them for the food, but graciously declined the green milk. She just...couldn't.

While she ate, she continued to watch Ben interacting with the Younglings- or trying not to. He was clearly clueless on how to handle such attention. They were bringing him toys or climbing up next to him and touching his arms and hair, curious about this stranger. To be honest, she was a little jealous. The Caretakers had never shown her so much attention. In fact, she had the impression they didn't like her very much. However, they seemed to almost dote on Ben. She sighed. Instead of being upset, she should be happy. It was further proof that he was, deep down, still a good person.

Finishing her breakfast, she stood and grabbed her bag. "I think I'll go up the mountain to check on the huts up there. Hopefully soon you'll be able to make the trip, but for now you need to take it easy. I'll be back in a few hours."

He looked over at her, uncertain of being left alone, but only nodded. "Looks like you're in good hands," she said teasingly and then turned to go.

Rey glanced back one last time as she started the climb up from the beach. She could just make out Ben's tall figure in the distance and had to chuckle. The past day was almost unbelievable. Rescuing him, bringing him here...being this close to him without fighting. It was new and different from their Force bond. With the bond, there was no telling how long their connection would last. Now, having him around non-stop was definitely affecting her… but she liked it. When he wasn't concealing his true self with the facade of Kylo Ren, he was proving to be a quiet, likable guy. And undeniably attractive. When their eyes met, which was more and more frequently, she felt herself _soften_...felt her need to be tough and strong lessen around him. Whatever that meant.

She breathed deeply and felt her lungs fill with the clean ocean air. The sight and sound of the island's cute little Porgs flying around brought a lightness to her steps. Hopefully, the Jedi huts would be in good shape for them to use. They had likely been unoccupied since Luke's passing, she assumed.

She decided to veer off the path to the huts and instead headed toward the ancient Uneti tree that served as the Jedi library. A flash of shame popped into her mind, but only for a moment. She could not be too remorseful for taking the old Jedi texts with her when she left a year ago. Studying them had helped her greatly along her Jedi path. As she neared the last rise before reaching the tree, she remembered how it had summoned her that very first time. The Force was unbelievably strong here and it had called to her...Rey… Rey Nobody from Jakku. Now she knew who she was… Rey the Jedi. And she had a purpose.

Her musings came to a sudden halt, as did her steps, when she saw the tree-or what was left of it.

"What?!" she exclaimed. Only a blackened bunch of stumps and branches remained of the once tall and proud tree. It had obviously been ravaged by fire, but how?

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

She whirled around to find Luke standing next to her shaking his head.

"The tree!" she declared in disbelief.

"I know," Luke said. "Good thing you stole those ancient Jedi texts, huh?" Instantly, she flushed in embarrassment and wouldn't meet his eyes. He chuckled. "It's okay. I already forgave you, remember? Besides, it was just a tree. The Force is still very much alive and well, as are the Jedi, thanks to you."

She relaxed visibly and nodded her head in relief.

Luke stepped in front of her. "I see you brought a visitor with you this time."

"Yes. I brought Ben here," she replied. "They tried to kill him. They almost did. This is the only safe space I could think of."

"No, you did a good thing bringing him here." He looked around, surveying the place he had called home for the last years of his life. "This place has a way of blocking out the excess noise and forcing you to focus on who you really are- like it or not." He sounded like a man who spoke from experience. For a few moments, he was silently staring out at the horizon, and Rey wondered if he even remembered she was there.

Then he suddenly continued. "So,how is he? My nephew?"

"He's...he's healing," she answered. "He's also surprisingly stubborn. He doesn't like to accept help."

Again, Luke laughed. "He gets that from Leia. When she sets her mind on something, there's no changing it. Until Han, that is. She resisted him- until she didn't."

That made Rey smile. Leia was formidable when she chose to be.

"You know, Rey, you still can't save him. Ben's gone through a lot- some of it done to him and some of his own choosing. Even though you've done all you can, ultimately he has to make the turn back to the Light. Are you willing to accept it if he chooses not to?"

She frowned. Would she accept it? Could she? Should she? "I know the choice is his and not mine. But Ben needs to know there is someone who cares enough to fight for him. I think the Force picked me to be that someone." As she said it, she realized, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she would never stop trying to help Ben Solo.

Luke stepped up, placed his hands on her shoulders, and nodded once. "I think you're right. Thank you for not giving up on him, Rey. He needs you." He dropped his hands and took a step back. "Until next time," he said, and then disappeared.

Rey paused, slowly comprehending the realization of her newfound mission- her need to make Ben Solo know he was worthy of being cared for. And yes, he was a little stubborn and closed-off, but she would wear him down. If nothing else, she was patient. He could resist her-until he couldn't.

Eager now to get back to him, she quickened her pace toward the Jedi huts. Once she verified that all was in order for whenever he could make the trek up the hillside, she hurried back to the village.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17-

All of this attention was a little unnerving. Ever since Rey left the village, he had not had a moment to himself. Caretakers, young and old, had gone out of their way to see to his every need, out of their way to see to his every need. He almost felt guilty accepting it. The voice from the cave dream repeating in his head…

"_Do you deserve it?"_

The answer was a resounding 'no.' Every bad thing he had ever done seemed to be playing on an endless loop. It agitated him, so much so, that he snapped at one of the younglings. She had not left his side the entire morning, chattering non-stop, asking question after question, showing him her toys, wanting him to hold them.

"No, no, I don't want to play with it!" he said sternly. HIs deep, powerful voice frightened the little girl, and she skittered away. He was instantly sorry, seeing her run and hide behind her mother. Surely now they would see how undeserving he was of their kindness. In fact, he was prepared for their anger. Anger was something he was used to.

However, instead of anger aimed at him, the girl's mother reprimanded her for bothering HIM.

"Can't you see he needs some rest? Give the poor man a break!" Then she shooed the girl off to go play with her friends. The tiny child gave Ben one last pitiful glance before running off.

He felt like a monster.

"Please forgive her," the mother implored, interrupting his self-loathing. "She is not used to having guests and can be a little high-spirited."

"I-I didn't mean to scare her," he admitted regretfully.

She walked over and placed her hand on his knee. "It's alright. I understand. You need some peace and quiet. Come," she said, motioning him to follow her. "I know a place. It's quiet… for your Jedi thoughts."

Surprise showed on his face. Did she mean Force meditation?

He followed as she led him to a small cove down the beach, enclosed by some large boulders which concealed it from view. There was a large rock that could serve as a seat that looked out over the waves. Yes, this would do. He nodded appreciatively, then she turned to go, leaving him alone.

Settling down on the rock, he gazed out and tried to calm his thoughts. Breathing in deeply, he filled his lungs with the salty air and felt the breeze ruffle his hair. He pulled his long legs up into a cross-legged position and closed his eyes, focusing on the rhythmic sound of the waves lapping up onto the shore. It crafted a calming backdrop to his tumultuous mind.

It had been quite some time since he had meditated. Usually it led to far too much reflection and introspection for his liking, so he had learned to avoid it. Ever since discovering that Snoke was the one talking to him through Vader's helmet during all of those heartfelt confessions- and not Vader himself- he did not trust himself to meditate like he used to. But, considering the last few weeks, and last day especially, he felt compelled to do so.

One more deep breath and he began sorting through his thoughts, filtering out as much as he could, trying to narrow them down. However, that was a challenging task. It started with Rey, then Hux (traitorous scum!), the First Order, then his mother, his father, and back to Rey again. Her kindness toward him was so unexpected. And she had asked for nothing in return. Her face appeared in his mind, all of her many expressions cycling through, landing on the soft gaze she had given him several times, first time being in the hut when their hands touched. Many times since then he had noticed the same expression. At first he thought it might just be pity, but now being around her more and more, it did not feel like pity. It felt like something...else.

"Hey."

HIs eyes popped open and there she was- walking right toward him. He quickly slid off the rock and stood up to meet her. The wind was picking up, blowing the loose tendrils of her hair around her face, which was flushed from her hike and smiling widely.

"They told me you were here. I didn't mean to intrude. I can leave if you want me to," she said pausing before coming any closer.

"It's okay," he said, watching as she continued forward, stopping right in front of him.

"The huts are in good shape," she explained. "Whenever you're up to it, they're ready for us to use. Of course, you won't have your adoring fans around to give you their undivided attention," she teased. "Just me."

Those two words sparked between them, and he felt his pulse quicken. Having her undivided attention was a tantalizing thought, one he would be wise to put out of his mind immediately. She quickly changed the subject.

"Were you meditating?"

"Trying to," he replied. "It wasn't going so well."

"You know, I remember reading something in one of the old Jedi texts about using meditation to help heal wounds. I've never tried it, but maybe it could work." She shrugged and took a tiny step closer, gazing up at him. "Maybe I could help."

Again, that quickening in his pulse. He shouldn't let her get too close. She muddled his mind and made him...hope.

"If we do it together...it's worth a shot, isn't it?" She kept staring up at him with those beautiful eyes, awaiting his response. Before he even realized what he was doing, he nodded his head in agreement. She smiled in relief and took his hand, pulling him down to sit across from her on the sand. As they settled into position, cross-legged, he took a deep breath and hoped he wouldn't regret this. She held out her hands, waiting for him to take what she offered. Sensing his hesitation, she said, "Come on. Trust me."

Glancing down at her outstretched hands, he finally took hold of them, so much smaller than his own. The instant they touched, that same shock shot through him. She felt it too and held on tightly to him. Their eyes locked across the distance as the wind continued to blow.

"Close your eyes," she said softly, and he obeyed.

His other senses sharpened immediately. He could hear the quiet roar of the ocean, the call of the island's strange birds, his own breathing. He felt her hands intertwined with his, the warmth of the sun on his face… smelled the air, and, when the breeze blew in just the right direction, the scent of her- warm and sweet. He sensed her even breaths and tried to match it. After a few more moments, he felt himself begin to calm and felt her teasing at the edges of his mind.

"_Do you really believe you are worthy of it?"_

The dark voice pushed its way in, interrupting his focus. She squeezed his hands when she sensed him starting to pull away.

"Ben," she spoke in his mind. "Don't close me out. Be with me..._be with me_."

Three simple words, but they were magic. The darkness lifted like a veil and he met her in the Force. Her relief was palpable and spread to him.

"Now, focus on that blaster burn first," she sent him through their bond. He followed her lead and concentrated all of his attention and power on his worst wound. A warm tingle started where their hands were joined and spread up his arms, twining around him as it made its way to the blaster burn that had nearly killed him. His eyes shot open and he saw hers were still shut, clearly still focusing all her energy on him. White light was glowing everywhere the warmth traveled. He watched in amazement as it coalesced on not just that injury, but journeyed to the others as well. It went up his neck to caress the gash on his forehead and the bruise at the corner of his mouth. He closed his eyes again and just let it wash over him. It felt so unbelievably good.

Soon, the heat began to fade, and he opened his eyes to find her looking at him with a huge smile on her face.

"It worked!" she exclaimed triumphantly as she reached out and gently touched his forehead. He raised his hand to feel only smooth skin where there had just been a three-inch gash. Then she moved to touch the corner of his mouth, taking him totally by surprise, and let her fingers linger a little longer than necessary before pulling her hand back in her lap.

"How about the rest?" she asked. She stood up and brushed the sand off of her backside.

Ben stood and pulled the hem of his shirt up to examine the blaster burn. Amazingly, it was gone. Only a tiny scar remained, a tiny reminder of all he'd gone through to get to this very point.

"We did it!" she said happily.

He couldn't believe it. He looked at her in disbelief. "Why? Why are you helping me?"

She looked at him as if she thought he was joking. "You know, you are worthy, Ben, worthy of being cared for." He started with those words. "I heard the voice...the one in your mind. Who was it?"

"I-I don't know."

"Well, whoever it was, he was wrong," she declared. She moved in closer, almost touching him, and gazed up into his confused face. "You deserve to find happiness. It's not too late."

Their eyes locked. His breath hitched at what he saw in her face.

"_But she doesn't know everything you've done."_ The voice was back.

"Rey," he muttered, voice cracking, "you don't know me...don't know all I've done. You called me a monster once, remember? You were right." He hung his head, knowing he could never be a good enough man for her.

She angled her head to catch his eyes again. "I do know you. And you know me. Ben, I can't explain it, but I know the Force has brought us together. It has a purpose for us, whatever that may be. I think we were… made for each other. How else can you explain our Force connection?"

"What do you want from me?" he pleaded, still unable to believe what she was saying.

She placed her hand over his heart. "I just want you to know you're not alone." Then she leaned up on her toes and kissed him gently on the mouth. He closed his eyes and let himself just feel the press of her lips.

Drops of rain suddenly splattered on his face and they jerked apart. In another instant, the drops became a downpour. Rey gasped and yelled, "I forgot about these sudden rain storms. They happen nearly everyday. Let's go!"

She started running back to the village, leaving him standing in the rain staring after her, water pouring down upon his head. As if realizing how soaked he was getting, he finally took off after her, a tiny little smile spreading across his face.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18-

They stayed one more night in the village just to be certain Ben's health was indeed back to normal. With the special care from their hosts and the Force healing session with Rey, he was finally ready to venture out to the rest of the island. Truth be told, he was starting to feel a bit confined, and, while he appreciated the unexpected kindness of the Caretakers, he was ready to be alone. Well… not _entirely_ alone.

Ever since that kiss on the beach, he and Rey had not had a moment alone together. Once she informed the Lanai they would be leaving the next day, the Caretakers had sprung into overdrive making sure they had enough food and supplies for a few days. His little friend even seemed to forgive him. They were all sitting around the big fire after sundown, when the little girl cautiously approached him clutching her prized doll, uncertain of how he might react. Sensing her uncertainty, he reached out his hand and said, "Can I see it?" She broke into a huge grin and hurried over to him to share her toy. He took it, examining the surprising craftsmanship closely. "It's a good doll," he stated, handing it back to her. She cuddled it close, then quickly hugged Ben's leg before trotting off to find her friends.

Rey watched, her heart softening even more for this man. It was hard to believe he was the same person she had first encountered back in the forest of Takodana. He caught her staring at him and offered her one of those slight, lop-sided grins. The way the firelight lit up his face made him even more handsome. Earlier on the beach, she wasn't sure what had made her suddenly decide to kiss him, but she didn't regret it.

The next morning they were up with the twin sunrise, both eager to be on their way. The healer insisted on checking Ben over one last time before granting her 'permission' for him to leave with a curt nod of approval. Rey was still amazed at how the Force had worked to heal Ben. At the least, she had hoped it would speed the process along. However, she never dreamed it would do such a thorough job. It seemed every day offered some new discovery about the power of the Force.

It had started with that simple touch in the hut all those months ago and led to their combined fight against Snoke's guards. Any time they joined together served to strengthen their connection. Something about being with him just felt...right...like it was meant to be.

The Caretakers had prepared two large bags stuffed with food, blankets and other supplies for them. She observed him as she gathered her own bag. Several younglings gathered around him chattering away, clearly upset about his upcoming departure. He looked her way, totally out of his element, and she bit her tongue to keep from laughing at his obvious dismay. The little girl was back, tugging on his pant leg to get his attention. When he looked at her, she motioned for him to lean down. Surprisingly, he crouched down, and as soon as he did, she threw her arms around his neck in a hug. Ben's eyes shot wide open in shock and his arms hung awkwardly at his sides. When was the last time he had been hugged? Rey wondered. As quickly as it started, it ended with the tiny girl pulling away, offering one last little wave before running off with her friends.

"That was very sweet," Rey said walking over to where he was still squatting. He cleared his throat and stood up, not knowing exactly how to respond.

"Are we ready to go then?" he asked, changing the subject quickly.

Rey smiled knowingly. "I think so. Sure you're up for a climb?" He nodded and started to walk away. "Aren't you forgetting something?" she called after him. He stopped and turned around to find her holding up the bags given to them by the Lanai. "I know you're used to having your underlings do all of your menial tasks, but if you're expecting me to carry both of these bags, you'd better think again." With that she tossed one of the bags at him, which he caught with an "oof!" She hoisted her own bag over her shoulder and took off.

Ben watched her walk away down the beach and smiled to himself. She was certainly feisty. He liked it. And she was right. He was used to other people doing all of the little things for him. As Supreme Leader he never had to concern himself with carrying bags, cooking a meal, or cleaning up after himself. It was all done for him. It had been quite some time since he had been solely dependent upon himself.

Well, himself and one incredibly spunky, intriguing, young Jedi.

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The view from the cluster of Jedi huts was breathtaking. Ben stood on the edge of the cliff and gazed out at the water and the clear blue sky surrounding them. In the years after he left the Jedi temple, he traveled to countless worlds of varying landscapes and cultures. However, he shamefully could not recall any of them in detail. He'd been so consumed with exerting control or gaining power that he never stopped to notice the beauty of his surroundings. What had changed to make him so self-reflective?

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

He turned at Rey's question to look at her. "It is," he replied.

She set her bags down and rolled out the kink in her shoulders. "You can take whichever hut you like. They're all pretty much the same." She saw him glance toward the one with an X-wing panel as a door. "That was Luke's," she added, watching to see how he would respond.

He stared at the hut that was home to his uncle, former mentor, and eventual nemesis. For some reason, he felt compelled to go inside, like the Force had something it needed him to see. So, in he went. His eyes needed a few seconds to adjust to the dimness, but soon he could see the simple, austere interior. A bunk was along one side wall, a fire pit in the middle, and a couple of stone shelf-like alcoves along another wall. The shelves were what drew his attention. Slowly, he made his way over to one and noted several objects resting there. None of them were familiar to him, so he moved to the next one and stopped immediately.

He inhaled deeply at the sight of them lying there in front of him- a pair of golden dice...his father's dice. He swallowed hard and tentatively reached out to touch them. Would they disappear this time like they did on Crait? Seeing them shot a searing pain through his heart. Hesitantly, he picked them up and let them coil into his palm, remembering how he loved to play with them as a boy. They had usually hung in the Falcon's cockpit. His father told him he kept them there as a constant reminder of all he had gone through in life and how lucky he was to have found a woman like Leia and have a son like him.

He startled at the feel of Rey's hand on his back.

"You okay?" she asked, concern etched on her face.

"Fine," he choked out, closing his large hand around the keepsake, then he turned and left the hut.

She gave him some space for a while and settled her few belongings in the same hut she had used the last time. Ben chose a hut across from hers and, she assumed, was likewise making himself comfortable. The sight of those dice had really affected him. She recalled seeing them hanging in the Falcon and knew they had belonged to Han. What must be going through his mind? She could only imagine.

Some time later, he came outside and appeared to have composed himself. She pulled out some of the food the Caretakers sent with them and they ate lunch outside overlooking the ocean. The winds whipped his dark hair around his face as he stared silently ahead, arms resting on his knees. He was dealing with something deep because she could sense his inner struggle as if it were her own. Their connection was intensifying the longer they were on the island. Finally, she ventured a question.

"What will you do now?"

He kept staring ahead, as if he anticipated her question. "I don't know," he replied honestly, dropping his arms and hanging his head down. "What can I do?"

Rey mulled over her response. "Well, you could stay here. It's out of the way. No one else knows about it."

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "HIde away like a hermit? Like Luke? No, thank you."

For some reason, that answer was a relief. She asked her next question, holding her breath as she waited for his reply. "Will you go back to the First Order then?"

Ben thought about it for a moment. "I suppose I could. Not all of the troops are loyal to Hux, I'm sure. He is a condescending, presumptuous putz, after all."

She chuckled, and he shot her another grin. But it was fleeting, and his serious expression returned.

"Do you want to go back?"

"Where else would I go? To the Resistance?" he said with a snort. "I don't think they'd welcome me with open arms."

"You might be surprised," she offered hopefully. He looked at her with a 'get real' expression. "Maybe," she added lamely. "You could actually do a lot of good, you know."

He gazed sadly back out at the sea. "It would never be enough."

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Ben was done talking and stood up. "I'm going for a walk." Rey's questions were forcing him to face things he wasn't ready to deal with just yet. Some time alone would do him good. He took off not knowing where he was going, but the island was only so big. He couldn't get lost.

As he walked, he took the time to notice the abundance of life all around him- the flowers sprouting up in patches along the path, the funny-looking little bird-like creatures Rey called Porgs, even an unusual, large creature that appeared to be lounging on a giant boulder, intermittently spraying water out of its long snout. He could feel the Force here, strong and pure. No wonder Luke had chosen it as his place for self-exile.

Ever since waking up on board the Falcon, he was starting to feel...lighter...less weighed down by the anger, fear and pain that had hounded him for years. Being with Rey somehow calmed his troubled soul. Having her care for him and being treated so kindly by the Caretakers had done something to him. It felt...good to be treated that way. For a fleeting moment, he thought maybe he should be more eager to get back to the First Order, to exact his revenge on Hux and his traitorous minions and resume command. But he just couldn't muster any enthusiasm for it. Well, except for getting revenge on Hux.

So, what did he want then? What would he do? What could he do? What should he do?

His mother sprang to mind, her message to him replaying vividly. She had offered to leave everything to go with him anywhere he wanted to go if he would just come home to her. It was surprisingly tempting. Go someplace far away. Make a new start with a new identity, hoping no one ever found out who he really was. However, he knew that would not work. He didn't want to live with the fear of being found hanging over his head. And, he admitted grudgingly, he would never ask his mother to give up her fight. That was part of what made her who she was. He couldn't help it, but he loved her too much to ever ask it of her. It was what had kept him from pulling the trigger on her command ship months ago.

What then?

The power and control of the First Order suddenly held no appeal for him. What had once been a burning desire to conquer and prove himself a master of the Dark Side, no longer called to him.

So what did?

Rey.

But it wasn't just her. It was that pull to the Light...that tiny glimmer of hope that whispered things could be different...that he could be different. HIs heart beat faster thinking about the possibility of a life not consumed by the Dark, but instead filled with hope and love. Maybe he could-

A sound interrupted his thoughts. It was an almost incomprehensible whisper-soft chorus of voices, floating on the breeze. He looked around searching for the source as it continued to softly fill the air. It seemed to call to him, urging him to follow its lead. He stood and started off in the direction it led, over more hills and winding paths, eventually ending at a secluded section of the island close to the shore. He stood on a ledge overlooking a large hole in the ground. All around its opening were some kind of vines, creeping out like the tentacles of some unseen creature. A chill traveled up his spine and out to the tips of his fingers and toes. He knew what it meant. That was a place inhabited by the Dark Side, and it had summoned him here.

Leaping down from the ledge, he cautiously approached the opening. The strength of the evil emanating from inside made him nauseous, something that had not occurred since the night Luke's temple was destroyed. He fought the feeling, then crouched down to peer inside the pit. Before he could stop himself, he lost his footing and slipped, falling head first into the hole. Calling on his Force abilities, he was able to stop himself before smacking into the surface of the water. Instead,he eased himself into the pool and swam towards the beach area he saw not too far away. Once out and on dry land, he took a moment to wring out his shirt and shake out some of the water from his hair. He slicked it back out of his face and took a look around. Not much to see, he noted, but the sense of dread hung heavy in the air. Then, through the dim light, he saw it- the opening of a cave.

Instantly, and beyond a shadow of a doubt, he knew it was the cave from his dream. He also knew if he was ever to figure out his next move, he would have to face whatever was inside. Clenching his jaw and his fists, and mustering his resolve, he stepped inside.

The whispers that led him here continued on as he made his way through the tunnel. Plunging deeper inside, he kept looking ahead, waiting for what he knew he would see, and in a few more steps, there it was- a faint light around the last bend. Before going any further, he paused to turn around, peering back into the darkness from which he'd just traveled. He was waiting for the voice, the one that drudged up every doubt and insecurity he had. Instead he was met with complete silence. Even the whispers had ceased. The only thing he could hear was his own heartbeat.

He turned back toward the light and started forward again. He refused to be afraid of the Dark. It had been his companion for so long. Maybe too long.

Soon enough, he rounded the bend and was surprised to find himself in some kind of illuminated, large, underground chamber. On the far end of the room was an odd-looking wall. He stepped closer and realized it was not an ordinary wall. The surface was as smooth as glass, but cloudy, like a frosted mirror. He reached out to wipe it off so he could see more clearly, when a voice stopped him cold.

"What do you think you'll see?"

Whirling around he came face to face with his old master. "Snoke," he said with a snarl. The sight of him filling the room gave Ben some misgivings. It couldn't really be him, not after Ben had sliced him completely in half with a lightsaber. So was it some kind of Dark Side Force ghost or just a figment of his own imagination?

"In the mirror," Snoke continued," what do you think you'll see? _Who_ do you think you'll see? Kylo Ren, heir to Lord Vader? Or Ben Solo, disappointing end to the Skywalker legacy?"

Ben's nostrils flared. Snoke's words hit their mark all too easily, as he slowly sauntered around the chamber.

"_**Ben Solo**_," he spat out and then chuckled his disgusting laugh. "You hated that name once, remember? You told me so, many times, as I recall. However, now, you don't seem to mind whenever 'she' uses it. Why is that, I wonder? Is it because she has sparked some small bit of pointless hope deep within your blackened heart? Made you believe that you can go back to the Light Side after all you've done?"

They began circling each other slowly, Ben silent and wary… Snoke's vision smirking with malice.

"Ah," he said. "I see. You care for her." He watched carefully for a reaction. "You know, you can have her without giving up all you've acquired. She cares for you, too. Use it. Use her weakness, her compassion for you against her to get what you want. Imagine what it could be."

Instantly, the image of Snoke dissolved and another took its place...Rey. But not as he knew her. No, she was dressed all in black, and while she was still beautiful, her eyes looked different somehow...almost empty. A cruel smile spread across her face. He didn't like this version of her. She sashayed over to stand in front of him, gazing up into his eyes, sliding a hand up his chest and into the hair at the back of his neck.

"Ben," she said seductively, "you know you could have me. I could be yours...completely." She leaned up and started placing kisses along his jawline. While this was something he had, in fact, fantasized about for longer than he'd care to admit, something wasn't right. This wasn't really Rey- at least not a version of her he was interested in.

He grabbed her hand at the back of his head and pushed her away. "No," he said firmly. She approached him again, but he stepped back out of her reach. Anger flashed in her vacant eyes and a malicious smirk twisted the corners of her mouth.

"Do you really think she'll want you when she finds out all you've done? She's too pure...too good. She could never accept you as long as she's on the Light side. Let's remember some of your past deeds, shall we?"

Suddenly, all around him were scenes from throughout his life being replayed right in front of his eyes. The day his parents sent him away to train with Luke. He had begged and pleaded not to go. Waking up in his academy hut to find Luke hovering over him, saber lit. The burning rubble of the Jedi temple, running away to Snoke, joining the Knights of Ren, killing his former Jedi classmate, bleeding his crystal, killing Lor San Tekka, plunging his saber through his father on Starkiller Base…

The evidence of his dark choices swarmed around him closer and closer, beating down his soul and squelching that tiny spark of hope that had just started to take hold.

"She could never love you," Rey's vision spoke. "No one could forgive you for all you've done. There's simply no use fighting it. You belong to the Dark Side, Kylo Ren You will never again be Ben Solo."

The images swirled relentlessly around him faster and faster, stoking the once fading embers of doubt and despair. He had done many horrible things, things he knew deserved no forgiveness...things he would never forgive himself for doing. Seeing them all at once was almost too much to bear.

He hunched down with his hands on his head, willing it all to stop. "No," he muttered, "no!"

Rey laughed. "Did you honestly believe you could escape your destiny?"

As she spoke the last word, her voice changed. It became the voice he heard in his dream, unfamiliar but dark… frightening in its tone of pure evil. He glanced up, but only saw the swirling images, not the speaker.

"You, young fool," it spat derisively, "you cannot become anything other than what you are. There are no happy endings for you once you've started down the dark path. It is useless to think otherwise."

"No," Ben repeated. "No, no…"

The voice started laughing, a cruel cackle, and Ben felt it reverberate inside his skull. Try as he might, he couldn't force it out.

"Give yourself fully to the Dark Side, my boy. Only then will you understand your true potential. Snoke taught you well, but your training is not yet complete. You are capable of much much more, but there is no room for silly attachments. Give in to the pain. Give in to the hate. Feel the power it can give. Forget this foolish dream of returning to the Light. Nothing you could do would ever be enough to earn forgiveness."

Just then, the scene of his father and him standing on the catwalk bridge froze right in front of him- his saber penetrating through his father's heart while Han's hand lovingly cupped his son's face.

It was too much.

"No...no...no...NOOOOOO!" Ben yelled as loudly as he could, holding his head tightly in his hands. He jumped up and flung out his arms, mustering all of his Force strength and pushed hard. A flash of light flared and the image vanished along with the voice.

Then he was alone. Just like he always had been.

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Rey tried to keep herself busy around the huts, tried not to wonder where he'd gone or what he was doing. But it didn't work. She couldn't get him out of her head. When he hadn't returned after a couple of hours, she started to worry. Silly, she knew. He was more than capable of taking care of himself against any dangers this island could offer.

As the minutes passed, she started feeling more uneasy, almost as if the Force was trying to get her attention. A sense of foreboding descended upon her and she couldn't shake the feeling that Ben needed her help. She stopped what she'd been doing and took off right toward where she knew he would be...the cave.

She ran as fast as she could, careful not to stumble on the rocks, which were practically everywhere. Every second increased her desperation to reach him. What was happening to him to make her feel this way?

Finally, she arrived and paused for just a moment at the edge of that dark mouth. The Dark Side lived here. It had taunted her with the secret of her parents, only to leave her feeling more alone than ever. Until Ben. He had shown up for her in her time of need, and now she would do the same. She dove headfirst into the maw, knowing the water waited below. Still not the most skilled swimmer, she didn't let it slow her down. Soon enough she emerged and headed straight for the cave opening. A sudden rumbling sounded as she entered and it caused her to momentarily lose her balance. She recovered and kept going despite the continued rumblings. She had to get to him no matter what. Pebbles started raining down along the cave walls, and she sped up. A glimmer of light shone up ahead. That had to be where he was.

Finally, rounding the last bend, she entered the opening that contained the mirror wall. Ben was there in the middle, crouched as low as he could go, clutching his head in his hands, repeating over and over, "No...no...no."

He was in distress, but before she could do or say anything else, he sprang up, thrust out his hands and screamed one final, primal, "Nooooooo!"

A loud cracking sound echoed in the chamber, and Rey saw the line of a break start streaking across one wall and begin a path around the rest of the room. More pebbles began to fall from the ceiling, turning into larger rocks. Ben stood totally still, breathing heavily, apparently oblivious to the fact that his outburst might bring down the cave around him.

"Ben!" she yelled and ran to him. He turned to face her, but didn't seem to really see her. His eyes seemed focused on something she could not see.

"No!" he muttered in despair, the pitiful look on his face breaking her heart. His bottom lip trembled and tears welled in his eyes. She reached up and touched his face tenderly.

"Ben," she said softly. Thankfully, it got his attention and he looked at her, finally realizing she was right there in front of him.

"Rey?" he said in confusion. She smiled reassuringly and nodded.

"We have to get out of here," she declared, as more rocks fell, one narrowly missing them where they stood. He glanced around, suddenly noticing the predicament they were in. The two of them watched as the ever-expanding crack traveled swiftly to the mirror wall. Then, starting as a tiny fissure, it rapidly spread across the surface like a spider's web. The rumbling grew louder and louder and the ground shifted beneath their feet. Rey lost her balance, but he caught her in his arms and righted her only to grab her hand and start running.

It was just in the nick of time as behind them the mirror chamber crumbled in an avalanche of stone. The destruction dogged their every step as they raced to the exit, dodging the falling rocks. One managed to land a blow on Rey's face right above her eye, and she could feel the blood dripping down the side of her temple. It took all her effort to keep up with his long strides.

With one last burst of speed, they were out of the cave and back on the shore, bent over trying to catch their breath. They turned and watched as the entrance to the cave was completely blocked off… sealed forever.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19-

Rey took a moment to catch her breath, looking at the remains of the mirror cave entrance now blocked from top to bottom. That was one pile of rocks she would NOT be lifting..._**ever.**_ She turned to Ben. He stood frozen in place staring at the cave. Whatever happened before she found him must have really unsettled him. She stepped close and lightly touched his arm.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly, not wanting to startle him. The sound of her voice snapped him out of his trance. He looked down at her hand on his arm and then up to her face, concern instantly replacing the empty expression on his own.

"You're bleeding," he stated. He took the edge of his sleeve and gently dabbed at her temple. She winced and raised her hand to meet his.

"I- a rock hit me on the way out. I'm okay," she assured him. "But you...I felt it...something bad." He dropped his hand and turned away from her. She stepped around to capture his gaze again. "It's no use trying to deny it. We're connected, remember? Let me help you." She grabbed his arm lightly to hold him in place.

Moments passed, and she knew he was fighting against his own demons. All she could do was keep holding onto him. So she did. She refused to let go. Eventually, he started talking.

"I've done things, Rey… awful things. Things that are unforgivable. I've made some terrible choices, tried to blame them on everyone else…my parents, Luke, Snoke." He hung his head again. "But it's me...just me."

The look of sheer and utter pain in his eyes nearly broke her heart, so she grabbed his other hand. He continued, with a crack in his usually strong voice, as he gazed pitifully at her. "How can I come back from all of that? I can't." Again, his head dropped in shame, resigned to his misery. Rey waited to see if he would say more, but he didn't seem able to speak. Likewise, she had no idea what to say in response, so she did something else. Raising his big, powerful hands to her face, she kissed them tenderly and then held them against her cheek, hoping he could feel the care she willed to him.

Ben had not expected that. She lifted her eyes to his and he saw her tears. He pulled one of his hands from hers and wiped a drop from her cheek softly. "Why are you crying?" he asked in a whisper, clearly worried he had upset her.

"I'm crying for you," she replied. "I'm crying because I know how lonely you've felt for so long because I've felt it too. I'm crying because I see glimpses of the amazing man you truly are and I want you to realize how worthy and deserving of happiness you are. I'm crying because you think you're not good enough to be cared for...to be loved."

Who was this woman standing there in front of him saying things that soothed his broken soul and gave him hope for more? What had he done to deserve it? Was it really possible for him to change? She made him believe he could.

"I'm not going to stop, you know," she went on, wiping the remaining tears away from her face. He could only keep staring at her, speechless. "I won't stop- won't stop trying to make you see, won't stop letting you know you're not alone, won't stop… caring about you."

The last words hung expectantly in the air between them, something they had been dancing around for far too long now. Did she mean…? He couldn't even bring himself to finish the thought. If it wasn't what he was assuming it to be, he would be devastated. So he kept staring at her, waiting for a sign that this was either a horrible joke on his part or… something far different.

Then the Force whispered ever-so-softly in his ear, revealing the truth of many things, the truth of his place in his own destiny, the truth of her and him. It was all now suddenly so clear. The Light had never deserted him, though he had fought desperately against it. It had never given up trying to pull him back ever so gently, never one to force itself on anyone. No, it was a choice one had to make willingly and not for the sake of someone else. Having a person in your corner was just a bonus, and not to be taken for granted, but the choice could only be made by him and him alone.

Rey waited patiently, sensing he was working through it all. The mix of emotions shone on his face. "Ben," she said quietly, getting his attention, "what do _**you**_ want?"

Had anyone ever asked him that question?

His eyes searched hers as he considered his answer. However, words were simply inadequate in this case. So, before he could talk himself out of it, he acted. He put both of his hands on the sides of her face and leaned down to place his mouth on hers, tasting her sweetness as she gasped lightly in surprise. Thankfully, she quickly responded in kind, becoming an eager participant in their kiss. Over and over, he kissed her, loving the feel of her lips on his, and she didn't pull away. With every touch, Ben felt his heart open up and fill with something new to him. Her hands came to rest on his hips and he stepped closer, not wanting to stop.

So he didn't stop for several more moments as the ocean breeze whirled around them and the sound of the waves played rhythmically in the background. Finally, their lips paused and parted, but he kept his hands on her face and gazed into her eyes. He noticed something familiar there. At the same time, they both smiled and then sighed, trying to calm their racing hearts. She placed a hand on his chest, over his heart and he moved a hand to the back of her neck, kissing her once again as she rose up on her toes to meet his lips.

This time when they pulled away, Rey noticed the suns were starting to set. It was getting late. She smiled awkwardly, not wanting this magical moment to end, but knew it was better to get back to the huts before dark. "We should probably go back. It will be night soon." Ben nodded in agreement, even though he would have stayed right there forever if she wanted.

She held out her hand. He looked at it, still not believing what was happening, then took it. His large one enveloped hers and they twined their fingers together. For the second time in mere minutes, he smiled.

"I am kind of hungry," he announced as they started walking down the beach, hand in hand. "Is there any of that green milk left? That stuff is pretty good."

Rey laughed out loud and looked over her shoulder at his confused expression. "We need to talk."

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They finally made it back to the huts just as twilight faded into the inky black of night. The whole way back had been traversed in silence, no words needed. She just let herself be swept away by her burgeoning new feelings for this man. She could sense that something had changed in him, some monumental shift had occurred, a barrier removed that had been holding him back. He immediately started to get a fire going in the outside pit.

"I think I'm going to change into some dry clothes,"' Rey announced, suddenly feeling self-conscious about her bedraggled state.

He nodded and stood. "Yeah, me too." He offered a shy little grin as she shut her door. This was so… unexpected. She chuckled to herself at how things had changed so quickly. Could all of this really be happening? She took a deep breath and forced herself to do what she came to do.

Digging through the bag the Caretakers had supplied her with, she pulled out a long tunic made from the same cloth the natives wore. Although it looked as if it might be rough, it was surprisingly soft to the touch. It would do for now. Her own clothes were uncomfortably damp and starting to chafe. Not a desirable state to be in. She peeled them off and laid them out flat to dry. Then she slipped the tunic over her head and was pleased to see it came almost to her knees. Next, she took down the remains of her buns and ran her fingers through her still slightly wet hair, pulling it over one shoulder out of her way.

She gazed at the door. From this point on, what would things be like between them? What would they do? Where would they go? She couldn't answer all of those questions yet. For now, she just wanted to be in the moment. She grabbed the blanket from the bag, wrapped it around her shoulders and opened the door.

There he was.

Her heart did a funny little flip. He was standing with his back to her, looking out at the moon and stars reflecting off of the ocean's surface. He wore a similar tunic to hers, but it was much larger. She wondered if their hosts had sewn it specially for him since none of the Lanai were anywhere near his size. They had also given him some pants, but they must have miscalculated his height because they only hit him midway down his calves. Strange, but she had only ever seen him in all black.

Rey smiled and started toward him. Sensing her approach, he turned to see her. What she saw in his face sent a flush of heat to her cheeks. The way he looked at her made her feel very… feminine...very aware that she was a woman and he was a man and they were very much alone.

She was… beautiful, and he was speechless. Never before had he been so attracted to another person, never so absolutely enthralled with anyone like he was with her. Her hair was down, and it softened her features, making her even prettier than usual. He liked it down. She was wearing a loose tunic and clutching a blanket around her, but her legs and feet were bare. And she was smiling at him. He couldn't help but smile back, as foreign as it was to him. It was getting easier, however, with her around. In a few more steps, she was standing right next to him.

"I forgot how cold it gets at night up here," she said, pulling the blanket more tightly around her shoulders. He quickly put his hand at her back and started urging her closer to the fire.

"Here, sit by the fire," he instructed her. "I'll get us something to eat."

That was new, she noted...him offering to wait on her. It was...nice. She watched as he gathered something for them to dine on. He returned and sat down next to her, handing her a plate of food. "Thank you," she said shyly. It didn't take them long to finish the simple meal.

"It was nice of the Caretakers to send all of this with us," she said, making conversation. "It certainly beats the food on Jakku."

He grinned. "They have been very accommodating. I haven't eaten anything like this for a long time. First Order food is mass produced and all tastes the same." She chuckled and their eyes met and locked again, silence falling between them, anticipation in the air. The firelight cast a warm glow on his face. He scooted closer to her, not really knowing what to do next.

"I guess we should get some sleep," she finally said.

"I can't sleep," he replied, "not yet anyway. Too many thoughts."

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

He grew silent and pensive again. He, like her, probably wasn't used to sharing his deepest thoughts with anyone else. Both of their lives had not afforded many trustworthy companions over the years. She laid her hand over his and he glanced at where she touched him. He slid his hand out from under hers and took hold of it, accepting her offer of comfort, but still not talking.

"When I was growing up on Jakku," Rey decided to start, "I used to gaze up at the stars at night and wonder about all of the places and people out there. I imagined my parents off on some important undercover mission. I was sure they would return once they finished it and we could live happily ever after." She felt his gaze on her but kept looking up at the night sky. "I've never told anyone this, but I would scratch a mark on the wall every day to keep track of all the time that passed. So many marks...so many days alone." She glanced over at him. "But I never gave up hope. I don't know why, really, except that maybe the Force helped me keep going. I never stopped believing that one day I wouldn't be alone anymore."

Their eyes locked and the air between them was alive. His free hand reached out to cup her cheek gently, and then his lips met hers in a slow, deep, soul-bonding kiss. When they stopped, Rey slid her arms around his waist and moved in close to embrace him. She pressed her cheek against his chest and could feel his heartbeat. His strong arms wrapped around her and he laid his chin on the top of her head.

"You're not alone," he pledged quietly, repeating words that had been spoken between them long before.

Rey lifted her face to look at him in earnest. "Neither are you."

He kissed her again, thoroughly and passionately. Then he just held her there in his arms, in front of the fire, under the stars...held her like she was the most precious thing in the whole galaxy. And she was.

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Not long after, he could tell she was starting to doze off by the feel of her weight relaxing against him. He regretfully eased her out of his arms and stood up. She looked up at him, eyes heavy with sleep, and he pulled her up to stand in front of him.

"It's late. You need to get some sleep," he said, right before sweeping her up into his arms and carrying her toward her hut. Once inside, he set her down gently on the bunk and then built up a small fire to keep her warm throughout the night.

She laid down and just watched him. He was so different...so calm...so caring….so tender. She had been attracted to him already, but seeing this new, truer version of him was making her care about him more than she was ready to admit. Was this the real Ben Solo? The man he should have been all these years? The man kept hidden behind the facade of Kylo Ren for years?

He finished the fire and turned to her. "There. That should keep you warm tonight."

She looked at him and wanted to say, "_**You**_ could keep me warm tonight," but didn't. It was too soon. So she just nodded and said, "Thank you."

"Good night," he said, and then left.

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Walking out of her hut was not easy, not after seeing that last look in her eyes. It was almost as if she wanted him to stay with her, which wouldn't be the right thing to do. Would it? He glanced back at her door. No, he would seem too desperate if he went back inside. And what if he misread her intention? But then who was he kidding? If she had asked him to stay, he would have done it in a heartbeat.

Sighing, he turned toward his own hut and was shocked to see someone standing by the ledge overlooking the sea. It was a man with his back to Ben. That's all he could tell in the darkness, the dying flames of the fire not offering very much light. He slowly started approaching him, looking for something he could use as a weapon, readying himself to use the Force if need be.

The figure must have sensed him because he turned around to face Ben. "Hello, Ben."

Ben was confused. He didn't recognize this person, and yet the man knew him. "Who are you?" he demanded.

The man smiled and Ben realized he was wearing Jedi robes and was bathed in a bluish shimmer, just like Luke's Force ghost. Was this man a Force ghost too?

"You don't know me?" the man asked playfully, "your own grandfather?"

Ben's brow furrowed as he examined the figure before him. He couldn't have been even as old as Ben himself. He appeared young, but tall and strong, with an easy smile.

"You're Anakin Skywalker?" Ben asked in disbelief.

"Would you recognize me better if I looked like this?" The figure instantly shifted into the familiar visage of Darth Vader, a figure Ben had idolized for so long. In another instant Vader shifted back to Anakin's form.

"I don't understand," Ben said. "How can I see you now?" He had tried for years to communicate with his grandfather, thought he had been when it was only Snoke manipulating him. So why now... and how?

"This place is strong with the Force," Anakin explained, sweeping his arm out to indicate the island. "That might have something to do with it. And also, you've changed."

Ben startled in surprise. He had so many questions, but couldn't seem to speak.

Anakin continued. "I've been watching you for a while now, but I couldn't get to you. You were too far into the Dark Side, too closed off from the Light, and since we had never met, it was difficult for me to make contact. But now…" he smiled warmly. "Like I said, you've changed."

Anakin walked over near the fire and sat down on the bench. Ben turned to watch him but kept standing.

"I made a lot of mistakes… A LOT! Don't follow in my footsteps, Ben. I heard you all those times, promising to finish what I started." Anakin looked at him quizzically. "What exactly did you mean by that? What do you think I started?"

Ben pondered the question for a moment before answering. "I guess, being the most powerful...ruling the galaxy." It sounded really lame even to his own ears.

Anakin smiled and shook his head. "We definitely need to talk. Sit down." He nodded toward the seat next to him on the bench and Ben cautiously sat down. "To be honest, you're partially right. I did want to be powerful, but it wasn't so that I could rule the galaxy. It was because I wanted to save the people I loved from dying."

Ben was surprised by that admission.

"When I left my mother to go train with the Jedi, I always thought it would provide a way for me to come back and save her. She was a slave, you know."

He hadn't known.

"Being apart from her was one of the hardest things I've ever had to go through. But you know a little about that, don't you?" He paused as Ben was gradually digesting it all. "Your mother was so worried you would turn out like me. I still don't think she's come to grips with knowing I'm her father. Can't say as I blame her. She kept it from you because she was afraid of how the knowledge would affect you and her. And fear, as you know, is of the Dark Side. Fear is a big part of what caused my own fall to the Dark. Fear of losing my mother and then fear of losing the woman I loved...your grandmother."

Ben noticed a wistful, bittersweet expression come across Anakin's face. "Padme," he whispered to the wind.

Ben had heard her name and knew only the little his mother had told him, which wasn't much. "What was she like?" Ben asked, his first words in some time.

Anakin glanced at him with a smile. "She was...an angel. I think I loved her from the very first moment I saw her. Of course, it took her a little bit longer to fall in love with me." He chuckled at the memories. "She was a queen, did you know that? When I first met her, she ruled the planet of Naboo. Ever been there?"

Ben shook his head no. He had heard a little about it, but that was all.

"Later, she became a Senator. She was always trying to solve problems with diplomacy, much like your mother. They're a lot alike, I think. Padme was brave and strong. She wouldn't back down from a fight, but was also kind-hearted to a fault. She was unbelievably beautiful. To have her love me was a dream come true...her a queen and me a nobody slave boy from some backwater planet at the edge of the galaxy."

"What happened?" Ben inquired. He had heard bits and pieces from his mother and Uncle Luke, but they didn't know the whole story. And he wanted to know.

"Back then, the Jedi discouraged 'attachments' with anyone else, so we tried hiding our marriage, keeping it secret. We lived in fear of being found out, not knowing what the ramifications might be for either of us. The galaxy was at war. We both had a part to play. She kept fighting for peace and I just kept fighting. When I found out she was pregnant, my fears overwhelmed me. I had dreams of her dying in childbirth and I couldn't stand to let that happen, not after losing my mom. So, I determined to find a way to save her.

"That's when the Dark Side came calling. Palpatine, as you know, was Emperor at the time, but we didn't know he was a Sith until later. He sensed my fears and doubts and preyed on them, telling me what I wanted to hear- that there was a way to keep those I loved from dying. I let fear overtake me and succumbed to his empty promises, giving myself to the Dark Side. Soon after I lost everything and everyone I cared about. The Dark Side leaves no room for love, for goodness, for hope. It swallows everything whole and leaves you feeling empty and alone and angry."

Ben nodded in agreement. He knew all too well the feeling of utter despair given by the Dark Side.

Anakin went on. "I lived many years on the Dark Side...did many horrible things. But one person, only one, came along and believed there was still the smallest bit of good left in me."

"Luke," Ben interjected. He knew this part of the story. Vader wanted Luke to turn and join him. He refused. The emperor nearly killed Luke until Vader interceded and killed the emperor instead. Vader ended his life redeemed as Anakin Skywalker.

"That's right. It just took one person, one little spark of hope." He glanced toward Rey's hut and Ben's gaze followed. "Don't wait until you're dying to realize the gift you've been given. You can let go of the past full of anger and fear and loneliness and have a better future. You can still do so much good. You can forgive and be forgiven. You can have what we Skywalkers have been fighting for for so long...peace, love, and family. That's really all that matters."

The two men locked gazes in understanding and then Anakin stood as if to leave. "Choose more wisely than I did, Ben. Don't wait until it's too late. And she's right, you know...Rey," he used his head to motion toward her hut. "You do deserve to be happy. And so does she."

With one last smile and a knowing nod, Anakin's Force ghost vanished, leaving Ben staring at Rey's door.

One little spark of hope...


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20-

Hux curled his lip in disgust at the group assembled in the room with him. He did not care much for these Knights of Ren. They were too feral and unpredictable for his taste, too difficult to control. And Armitage Hux liked control. They were dressed entirely in black from head to toe, much like their traitorous leader, Kylo Ren, and currently making themselves comfortable. A few were leaning on consoles, one had his legs slung casually over the side of a chair, while two others were nosing around the command room at monitors they had no business examining. Their overall grunginess and malodorous presence was something he usually tried to avoid.

But not today.

"So, where is Ren?" their de facto leader asked from the chair. Ap'lek was his name, if Hux's memory served him correctly. He was the one with the giant ax, which was presently lying at the ready across his lap. He could only tell them apart by remembering which weapon they used. Not that there was much difference between them all past that anyway. They all enjoyed causing death, destruction and mayhem wherever they went. Violent chaos was their trademark. And while Hux preferred more order in his fighting and conquests, their style was exactly what was needed for this particular mission.

"Kylo Ren has betrayed the First Order," he announced triumphantly, expecting them to be outraged. Instead, nothing. No reaction. Hux cleared his throat and continued. "I long suspected he had a hand in the death of our beloved Supreme Leader, Snoke, and I now have absolute, undeniable proof of his treachery."

The knights now seemed moderately interested in what he had to say, and focused their attention on him. "He joined with the scavenger girl from the Resistance and killed Snoke. A very different story than the one he told, blaming her alone for Snoke's death. It was, in fact, Ren who dealt the fatal blow. And now that he has been found out, he has fled like the coward he is."

Hux finished with much vigor. He had rehearsed this conversation back in his quarters to get it just right. Unfortunately, his own attempt to get rid of Ren had failed, no thanks to some traitors within their own First Order ranks. He needed the Knights to take care of Kylo Ren. Then there would be no more obstacles to the realization of his long-held dream of becoming the Supreme Leader of the most fearsome, powerful force the galaxy had ever seen.

"Let's see it," said Ap'lek, rising from the chair and walking toward Hux, his giant ax now slung over his shoulder. Hux furrowed his brow in confusion. "The proof," Ap'lek explained. "We want to see it."

"Ah, yes," Hux replied. "Come right over here," he said, going over to a nearby viewing monitor and punching in his personal code. He had kept this footage highly guarded, not taking any chances that it could fall into the wrong hands. His face broke into an evil grin. "Let me show you."

The incriminating footage popped up on the screen. All six of the large and rather smelly men gathered in closely to see, and Hux was trapped in between them. He tried to hold his breath while they watched the evidence play out right before their eyes. First up was the footage from Snoke's throne room. When that scene ended, he could feel the knights begin to tense up. Next, was the footage from the spy droid on Bonterra of Ren and the girl meeting secretly on the street and then her leaving without being challenged by their so-called leader. When it came to the end and the screen went black, Hux waited expectantly for their reaction. Even though they, like him, were loyal to Snoke, they had never seemed completely devoted to the First Order as Hux was. And with Kylo Ren being their so-called master, Hux had even less reason to like them. However, the old adage 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend' was what he was banking on.

"So, where is he now?" Ap'lek finally asked.

Hux straightened in smug satisfaction. "He ran… fled in an escape pod. I believe the girl rescued him and has taken him into hiding. We managed to do a reverse trace on the pod and have discovered two places where it stopped for a period of time. I'm assuming he is at one of those two places. I would like for you to help track him down and bring him back, if possible, or don't bring him back...if I make myself clear. He needs to be put out of commission and has likely been working behind the scenes against the Order this whole time. Will you do it?"

The group looked at one another, somehow communicating even though their helmets never came off. At the end of their unspoken discussion, Ap'lek turned to Hux.

"We're in."

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The first rays of morning light shone through the hut's small window and landed gently on Ben's face. He wrinkled his brow, not wanting to open his eyes just yet. He was in the middle of a very good dream, the best one he'd had in a long, long time. As he came fully awake, the details dissipated more quickly than he could force them into his consciousness. All he knew was it left him with a feeling of lightness and hope for the future...and an undeniable desire to see Rey.

He jumped up and found his own black tunic. When he held it up to examine it, he realized it was a little worse for wear and decided to just keep the tunic given to him by the generous Caretakers. Quickly, he tucked the bottom into his own black pants and slipped on his boots. He ran a hand through his hair to get rid of a few tangles, and then smoothed the same hand over his chin. A shave was long overdue by the feel of his scruffy stubble. He sighed and shrugged. There was nothing for it now. He rolled his shoulders and stretched his arms, noticing how loose and comfortable the shirt was. His usual attire kept him feeling tightly contained and restricted. He actually kind of liked the change.

He was ready to start this new day, Well, almost ready. He looked around the room searching for his saber out of habit. Then he realized in near disbelief that he had not even thought about his saber once since being ambushed back on his ship. A frustrated growl came from deep in his throat as he comprehended that it was now very likely in Hux's possession. That would not do. It would need to be remedied. Such a fool had no business with a weapon like his saber.

He paused for just a moment to question why he had not missed having it around for days now. Was he, in fact, truly ready to leave his entire life behind and start anew?

His stomach grumbled, diverting his attention from such a loaded question so early in the morning. He headed outside to start a fire for breakfast. For some reason, he wanted to have it ready before she awoke, but when he stepped outside the door, he was surprised to find her already stoking the flames. She looked over to see him coming toward her. He noted she was back in her own clothes, but her hair was not pulled up into her usual style. Now it was more like when she had shown up on Snoke's ship in the escape pod- half pulled back and half left hanging loose down her back.

"Good morning," she said with a smile. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did, actually," he answered, stepping close to her side. "You?"

"Yes."

"Good...good," he replied awkwardly. He'd never been much for small talk. It made him feel a little foolish. "Did you stay warm enough?" he finally asked, to break the silent pause.

"I did. Thank you," she said. "And thank you for building up the fire for me. I guess I was more tired than I realized."

He nodded. "Yeah, me too. Except I'm usually too hot when I sleep. I kick off the covers and…" he drifted off and didn't answer, realizing how inane he probably sounded.

Rey chuckled, causing him to do the same. "Want some breakfast? After we eat, I've got something I want to show you."

"Sure," he said, taking the plate of food she offered. They both sat and ate quickly. He was curious to see what she had to show him. And honestly, he admitted to himself, he was just looking forward to being with her. It didn't really matter what they did or where they went.

Soon enough they finished eating and were on their way toward a part of the island he had yet to go. She led the way, and he caught himself enjoying watching her from behind. His face heated at the realization and he hoped she couldn't read his mind. Instead he tried to focus his attention on his other surroundings. Once he did, he noticed the sky seemed a bit more blue today, the air smelled even fresher, and the song of the island's Porgs wasn't quite as grating to listen to.

Interesting.

In a while, they came upon what looked like a very large tree of some kind, massive enough to walk inside. However, it appeared to have burned to nothing more than a blackened hull. Rey paused to stop in front of it. Even though it was clearly deadwood now, he could still sense the Force strongly in this place, life penetrating the very air around them.

"What is this?" he asked, coming to stand next to her, studying the sight before them.

"It was a Jedi library," Rey explained. "It housed the ancient Jedi texts for a thousand generations."

"Not anymore, I'm guessing," Ben added sarcastically.

She gave him a sideways glare. "No, not anymore. Luckily, however, I… _**borrowed**_ them before I left the island," she confessed, avoiding his gaze.

"Borrowed, huh?" he teased with a grin.

She blushed in embarrassment. "Well, it's a good thing I did. I mean, look what would have happened if I hadn't . I actually saved them," she argued.

Ben laughed. "Keep telling yourself that, sweetheart."

His last word caught her by surprise and she stared at him. He noticed and instantly apologized. "I was just kidding," he said, thinking she was offended by his teasing, not knowing the true cause of her surprise.

She had been called 'sweetheart' before-in a dream. '_I'll come back for you, sweetheart,'_ the voice had promised. It had given her hope all those long, lonely years on Jakku. Now, here was Ben, and she didn't feel alone anymore.

He tried changing the subject. "Is this what you wanted to show me?"

"No," she replied, snapping out of her reminiscing. "No, this isn't it. Where we're going is all the way up there," she explained and pointed up at the massive steep hill off in the distance.

Ben's eyes widened at the sight of it. The climb would be tough, he could already tell, but the end destination must be worth it. He took a deep breath and said, "Alright then. Let's get going."

A while later, Rey paused to yell back over her shoulder, "We're almost there!" She was trying to be heard over the sound of the strong winds whipping around them at this altitude. They were extremely high up, far higher even than the Jedi village. In front of them stretched the remainder of a seemingly never-ending stone staircase that crept up the rocky mountainside. By the time they reached the top, Ben was slightly out of breath. It took a few moments for his lungs to adjust to the thinner atmosphere.

In front of them was a tall arched doorway, columns on each side guarding the entrance. Peering inside, he saw a series of vaulted chambers, sunlight streaming in through high windows, dappling the floor.

"It's a temple," he said, looking at Rey standing next to him. She nodded and motioned for him to go inside. Slowly, he entered, hoping the Force wouldn't kick him out for all of the things he had done in the past. He felt a sudden urge to confess. He looked around the simple, yet hallowed hall, feeling suddenly very small and insignificant in the scheme of things. This place was old and had likely been utilized by many Jedi over the centuries. Luke had obviously found this place on his continued quest for ancient Jedi relics and sites, started even before Ben was born. He recalled accompanying his uncle many times on some of these journeys. Part of him was surprisingly grateful Luke had finally found what he was looking for.

When they eventually reached the final chamber, the largest by far, Ben's attention went directly to the shallow, circular pool in the middle of the room. The bottom was a mosaic, crafted from many rocks and fashioned into the image of a seated figure holding a lightsaber- half created with black rocks and half with white ones. He walked slowly around one side and Rey the other until they met up on the other end. It was humbling to be in a place like this. Funny how just days ago he would have felt very differently. And a year ago he might have even been tempted to destroy it, thinking it would prove his commitment to Snoke.

Rey's hand slipped into his, drawing his gaze to hers. "Come on. There's more," she said, pulling him gently out an opening that led to a narrow rocky ledge, overlooking the waves far, far below. A flat-topped boulder sat at the edge, big enough to sit on. She guided him all the way out and watched for his reaction as he took in the amazing view. After a moment of quiet contemplation, he looked back at her, a small smile of wonder tugging up the corner of his mouth.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"It's amazing," he replied.

She smiled in satisfaction, happy that he appreciated its wonder like she did. "You can feel how sacred it is here. I wanted you to see it...to share it with you," she added with a look in her eyes that quickened his pulse. He watched as she stepped closer to face him and he grabbed her other hand.

"I'm glad you did," he replied, soft and low. Her gaze dropped to his lips and back up to his eyes. He did the same. It was an unspoken acknowledgement of what they both wanted, so he leaned his head down, angling it just so in order to meet her upturned mouth. The instant their lips touched, it was as if the Force was singing and pulsing all around them. They kissed again and again, slowly, tenderly, enjoying each and every press of their mouths together. Everything else around them seemed to disappear.

"Ahem."

The sound of someone clearing his throat jolted them apart. Simultaneously, they turned to the entrance of the temple room, and there was Luke, a sly, knowing smile on his face. "I know, I know," he said, somewhat remorsefully, "my timing could use some work."

Rey and Ben both felt themselves start to blush and stepped away from one another. "Luke," Ben said in a somewhat stilted greeting.

"Ben," he acknowledged. "Rey," he added, glancing at her. "Now that we've dispensed with the pleasantries, we can get down to business." He turned and moved inside the temple room, while Rey and Ben looked at each other in confusion. Finally, Ben shrugged his shoulders and followed Luke, Rey right behind him.

Luke sat on the edge of the pool and slapped his knee. "Well, here we are," he began, staring right at his nephew. "It seems as though there have been some changes recently, am I right, Ben?"

Ben just stared right back. There was still a lot that was left unsaid between them...years of mistrust and misunderstanding. Ben was trying to start over, but his relationship with Luke would take more time for examination.

Luke continued on. "You know, Rey here has been fighting for you for a long time. She refused to give up hope that you could turn back to the Light. She even fought me over you."

Ben's gaze shot right to hers and he saw the truth of it in her eyes.

"But I think you know how she feels by now. Looks like you two have definitely moved past the hand-holding stage," he teased, satisfied with the burst of red on their faces. "Aw, it's nothing to be ashamed of. Although, you know, according to the Jedi code, your 'attachment' to each other would have been forbidden. They thought being involved with someone in a romantic way somehow made you a little weaker in the Force...more vulnerable to the Dark Side. But from what I've seen, caring for someone, loving them, actually strengthens the Light Side. Love is pure and unconditional when it's for real. I'm not talking about the obsessive, controlling kind of relationship. Those are the things that stir up fear and doubt and lead to the Dark Side.

"No, I think that was one of the mistakes that led to the Jedi's downfall...discouraging love and connection to others. In fact, I happen to believe that those are the very things that keep us in sync with the Light Side. But it looks like you two have already figured that out."

Luke watched as their eyes met and expressions softened, revealing the depth of their newfound feelings for one another.

"Ben," he said, reclaiming his nephew's attention. "I was wrong in so many ways and I apologize." He could feel his nephew start to tense and put up his wall." Now, just hear me out. These things need to be said. When I first saw how much it upset you to be sent away from Han and Leia, I should have sent you back home. You needed them, and they needed you. That was another mistake made by the Jedi. They used to take children from their families when they were too young, assuming, wrongfully so, that the Jedi knew better how to raise a Force sensitive youngling than the parents did. But they were wrong. Children need their parents, that unconditional love. They shouldn't be forced apart." He paused his speech and glanced up at them with a sly grin. "That's for future reference, by the way."

Before they had too long to think about the implications of his words, he switched gears. They noticed him studying the mosaic inside the pool.

"I spent a lot of time contemplating what this mosaic means. It's not like my schedule was too busy, right, Rey?" She blushed again, remembering some of her first interactions with him. "I wondered why the ancient Jedi created it in just this way, and I think I finally have it figured out. Notice how it's black and white? Dark and light? But there is only one figure?" He checked to see if they were both paying close attention before continuing. "It's because the Force isn't Dark or Light. It just _**IS**_. Within each of us, though, is some of both, and everyday, every moment we are choosing which way we are going to use the Force. For good? For evil? Even when we try to stay on the Light, we sometimes fail and slip to the Dark Side. None of us is perfect, after all. We all have that possibility of being tempted by the Dark Side. But the trick is in making a conscious effort everyday to choose the Light Side. We may not always succeed, but we have to keep trying."

Rey listened intently. This was the Luke Skywalker she had expected to find when she first showed up on Ahch-to all those months ago… legendary hero of the Republic...experienced sage dispensing profound wisdom upon his pupils. And it hit her. He was trying to teach them a lesson.

"Thinking outside yourself is the first step. It keeps you from focusing on yourself, which is a tool of the Dark Side. When you strive to help others, you open yourself to the Light Side. Ben, your mother is an expert at that. She's lived most of her life putting others' needs first. Maybe she went a little too far in some instances, but her intentions were always good."

The mention of his mother affected him, Rey could sense it. She took his hand again and squeezed it reassuringly. He looked down at her and squeezed back.

"Now," Luke declared, standing up, "the question is what are you two going to do next? Hide out here like I did? Remove yourselves from everyone else and what's going on out there? True, the views are great, but the night life leaves a little left to be desired." He chuckled at his own attempt at levity, but quickly turned serious. "You know, the galaxy could use a hero...or two," he added with a wink. "The two of you have a special connection, unlike anything I've ever seen before. The Force has special plans for you. It's brought you both here...to this very place and at this very point in time for a reason. There's no telling what you might accomplish together, but you've got to make that choice. So what will it be?"

With a look of pride at the two younger people in front of him, Luke offered one last smile and then disappeared, leaving them all alone.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21-

Several moments passed. Ben stared contemplatively into the Jedi pool, eyes fixed on the figure inside. Rey watched him sensing his need to think. Suddenly, he turned to her and said, "I need to see my mother."

Rey was somewhat surprised this was the first thing he had to say, but she took it as an unexpectedly positive sign. She moved in close and placed her hand on his lower back. "Of course," she replied.

"Rey, I've wasted too much time," he started, a hint of desperation in his deep voice, "and I don't want to waste anymore. I need to make things right...or at least try to." He paused and sighed heavily. "Although, she might not want to see me. Not after…" he drifted off, unable to finish the rest.

"You know that's not true," Rey insisted. "And I certainly know that's not true. Ben, Leia loves you. You're her son, no matter what." She felt an undeniable urge to hold him, so she slid her arms around his waist and snuggled in close to his chest. "Trust me. She'll want to see you."

He wrapped his arms around her and laid his cheek on the top of her head. She fit perfectly, and, he had to admit, he was finding the feel of her a wonderful thing...something he could definitely get used to. "Well, _**she**_ might, but I doubt the rest of the Resistance will be too happy to see me."

She pulled back and looked at him, sensing his uncertainty about these next steps in his new life. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you. That's a promise."

A wide smile spread across his face and he cupped her cheek in his large palm, his thumb caressing back forth over her soft skin.

"I mean it," she continued. "I just found you, Ben Solo. I'm not going to lose you."

He marveled at the fierce sincerity of the woman in his arms. No one had ever fought for him like this...believed in him… _Ben Solo_. He couldn't resist. He kissed her again. Each time was getting better and better, making him want more, and he used the arm still around her waist to pull her right up against him without breaking the kiss. A tiny little moan escaped her and triggered a husky growl of his own in response. He moved his tender assault to her neck, starting at the soft spot behind her ear and then blazed a trail down and back to her lips.

In another few moments, they stopped reluctantly but kept their foreheads pressed together. "We probably shouldn't… here in a temple," she stated breathlessly. He chuckled and pulled away. Rey smiled shyly, running a hand back to straighten her hair. "We should get back to the huts. I'll signal Rose with the tracking beacon to come pick us up. If she leaves right away, she should be here by tonight."

Ben nodded his consent to her plan and they set off back to the Jedi huts. He tried not to focus too much on his growing doubt regarding a reunion with his mother. No, he knew, despite any misgivings the Dark Side might try to throw at him, he needed to see her no matter what.

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As soon as they returned to the huts, Rey activated the beacon. "There. I just hope she can slip away without any trouble. We should probably be ready to go as soon as she gets here." She noticed the slightly nervous expression on his face and could sense it through their bond. "You're sure about this, right? I know you're worried-"

"I'm fine," he interrupted curtly and then instantly apologized. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

She smiled knowingly, "It's okay. We have a bond, remember? I can sense how you're feeling. You can't hide it from me and you don't need to." She stepped close realizing she loved just being close to him.

He exhaled as if releasing some of his pent up tension. Needing the contact, he took her hand. "I know," he said with a tiny smile. "And I am sure it's what I want to do...what I _have_ to do. It's just been a really long time since I last saw my mother."

Rey reached up to gently touch his face, then stood on her tip-toes to place a sweet kiss on his lips.

"We'll face it together. You're not alone anymore."

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It was only early afternoon and they needed to pass the time as they waited for Rose to arrive. Once they had their very sparse belongings packed up in the bags the Caretakers had given them, they decided to take another walk. They headed inland first, stopping to rest on some rocks amidst a field of small white flowers. Several Porgs were flitting about nearby, curious about the two intruders, and Rey could sense his unease around the cute little creatures.

"They won't hurt you, you know," she teased.

He curled his lip and eyed the closest one warily. "I don't care much for birds. They're too unpredictable."

Just then another one of the creatures landed suddenly on a rock right next to Ben. He nearly slid off of the rock in alarm and Rey couldn't help but laugh out loud. He glanced at her sheepishly and righted himself. "See what I mean?" He cautiously looked at the Porg, a young one Rey could tell, which was studying him intently from its rocky perch with its over-sized round eyes. Ben jumped again when it let out an unexpected squawk and flew off over his head.

"I think they sense fear," she added with a glint of mischief.

"Funny," he replied, searching to see if any others were too close for comfort.

Rey looked down at the ground in front of her and grinned in satisfaction. She liked him...Ben Solo. She knew she would, but the reality of it, the reality of being with him without his Kylo Ren 'shell' was somewhat overwhelming in the strength of the emotions he had stirred within her in such a short time.

Moments passed in silence as they both basked in the warm sunshine. She leaned back on her arms, face to the sky, eyes closed, a little smile playing up her lips. Ben couldn't stop looking at her. Was it possible for someone to become more beautiful with every passing moment? He wanted to know everything about her.

"Tell me about your childhood," he said, suddenly breaking the silence.

She opened one eye and looked at him. "What do you want to know?" she asked.

"Everything," he answered.

"All right," she agreed, straightening up. "I'll tell you about mine, and then you tell me about yours. Deal?"

He offered her a lop-sided grin. "Deal."

And so they passed the time telling stories of their childhoods. Rey began with her earliest memories and continued on until she reached the time of their first meeting in the forest of Takodana. Ben listened intently, never interrupting, awed at her strength of spirit, but saddened by her loneliness. It was something he'd felt too despite having his parents around even though they were often busy. She'd had no one. He didn't want her to ever have to experience that again.

When she finally finished, he began. He was a bit reluctant at first, having never shared this part of himself with anyone before. However, once he started talking, the words burst forth in a flood, and he found himself telling her things he'd long thought forgotten- good and bad. At one point, she reached over and placed her hand on his knee for support.

"That's when I woke up to see Luke standing over me with his lightsaber," he finished quietly. "You know how it ends."

She scooted over to join him on his rocky seat and laid her head on his shoulder. "Neither one of us have had an ideal time of it, have we?" she said.

"I could have made some different choices," he admitted. "I know that now."

She lifted up her head to look at him. "Let the past die. Remember that?"

He scoffed and hung his head. "Tried to forget."

She nudged him with her shoulder. "I think we should remember our past, learn from it, but not be hindered by it. We get to decide what our future will be," she finished hopefully. "Kind of exciting, really." She smiled widely and her dimple appeared.

He breathed in deeply and felt his heart swell with hope.

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Hours passed. It was getting later, the twin suns sinking lower in the sky signalling night was not far away. Rey and Ben left the field and made their way to the beach, intending to visit the Caretakers one last time to thank them for their generosity. Hopefully, Rose would arrive soon and they could be on their way to the Resistance headquarters. When they reached the shore, the suns were just beginning to set, a blaze of colors painting the sky in vibrant purples, pinks and golds. They stopped their leisurely stroll to take it all in, Ben standing behind with his arms wrapped around her.

For this one moment, the first in longer than he could recall, Ben Solo felt completely happy and at peace.

Rey abruptly turned in his arms searching the sky behind them. "Do you hear that? It sounds like a ship. Maybe it's Rose!" A shape passed overhead in the dying light and she realized the outline was not that of the Falcon. "That doesn't look like Rose," she said disappointedly.

"It's not," Ben replied, a hint of anger in his voice. "But I know who it is." Suddenly, he took off running down the beach in the direction of the Lanai village.

"Ben!" Rey called after him, trying to keep up with his long strides. They scurried over the rocky stretch of shoreline between them and the village, calling upon the Force to help keep them from slipping. As they neared their destination, chaotic shouting could be heard. Ben stopped and ducked behind a large boulder, pulling Rey down next to him.

"What is it? Why are we hiding?" she asked, catching her breath. She sensed his dismay and growing anger.

"That was the Night Buzzard we saw. It belongs to the Knights of Ren," he said with a snarl.

She stared at him hard. "_**Your**_ Knights of Ren? How did they find us? What do they want?"

"I don't know how they found us, but I know what they want."

"What?"

"Me."

More shouts and screams came from the village striking fear into Rey for the well-being of their kind hosts. "You don't think they'd hurt the villagers, do you?"

He didn't reply to her question. He didn't need to. They both knew the answer.

"I need to get closer," he announced, more to himself than to her. He started to take off, but she grabbed his arm to halt him.

"We'll do this together. How many are there?"

"Six."

"Ok. You go that way and I'll go around to the other end. Here, take this," she said, handing him her blaster before taking off up the embankment toward the other end of the village.

He watched until she was out of sight and then started moving closer for a better look. His jaw and fists clenched. No one knew better than he did what these men were capable of. Some of their past murderous exploits sprang to mind. There had been many times when he had tried to tamp down their viciousness, but they cared not a bit for the value of a life. Killing others, causing pain, was a sport for them. They needed no reason to do it. They had no honor...except their twisted code. Now he had broken that code and they were here to mete out judgment upon him. Anyone caught in the middle was destined for destruction.

He glanced down at the blaster, wishing he had his saber. Oh well, he thought. He'd just have to do this Solo-style.

Rey finally made it to the other end, unseen. She found a good vantage point and surveyed the scene in the village below. Most of the Lanai were huddled together in the middle near the communal fire pit, which was lit and provided just enough illumination of the situation. Through the Force she could feel their fear and it only served to intensify her determination to help them. She needed to focus. First, find the knights. Easily enough, she counted three of them towering above the diminutive Caretakers, surrounding the group and keeping them herded together by brandishing their lethal looking weapons. Another one exited a hut pulling the Matron behind him and then forcefully threw her down on the ground in front of the others. Rey snarled and had to hold herself back.

"I'm not going to ask again," the masked villain demanded loudly. "Where is Kylo Ren, that traitorous scum? We traced his escape pod to this worthless hunk of rock, and there's not much else here. So, tell me what I want to know and nobody gets hurt...well, almost nobody." He gave a curt nod to one of the other masked knights, who grabbed one of the nearest Caretakers and pulled her out of the huddle. In his other hand he carried a huge club with a blunted end. In the blink of an eye, he swung the club around and made contact with the much smaller villager sending her flying back to land with a sickening thud. The other Lanai screamed in terror and Rey bit back a scream of her own.

The Caretakers were peaceful people. They didn't deserve this. She had to help them. Taking a deep breath, she unhooked her lightsaber from her belt and prepared to attack. However, she was stopped by the sound of a familiar voice coming from down below.

"Hello, gentlemen. Looking for me?"

It was Ben. He was sauntering casually out of the darkness, looking cool and relaxed, the blaster hanging down at his side.

The leader stepped forward to face him and the others were instantly alert. "Kylo Ren," he spat contemptuously, "the coward himself. Old Huxie-boy showed us what you did to Snoke. Saw the proof with our own eyes. That broke the 'code', and you know what happens when you break the code."

Ben remained calm, taking his time to respond, spinning the blaster in his hand. "Hux, huh?" he finally said. "He's the coward. You know that, right? I mean, any nerfherder with half a brain knows that he can't be trusted. You do have half a brain, don't you, Ap'lek?"

The masked man growled and readied his huge battle ax in an attack position.

Ben smirked. "Sure you want to do this? You know what I'm capable of. You all know," he raised his voice for the others to hear.

Ap'lek chuckled derisively. "Well, all I see is one of you and a bunch of useless natives. And you don't even have your precious lightsaber, do you? Yeah, Hux has it. It's his prized trophy, so you can save us all the time and effort and just give up now."

"That's not going to happen," Ben said firmly.

Ap'lek laughed again and spun his ax from one hand to the other. "I'm glad to hear you say that. Me and the boys need a little workout." He gave a signal and started to approach along with another knight armed with multiple weapons. A third one started toward Ben, the one with the wicked looking club. Ben was going to need her help.

The next minutes passed in a blur. The three surrounding Ben quickly advanced, Ap'lek first to attack. Ben deftly dodged the blow from the ax, but before he could get off a blaster shot, the knight with the club made contact with Ben's side. He stumbled, but quickly righted himself just in time to duck another swing from the ax.

Rey jumped out from behind her hiding place and started on her way to offer assistance. Unfortunately, the one knight left guarding the Lanai spied her and leapt into intercept. He had a very large vibrocleaver, bigger than any blade Rey had ever seen before, and he ran straight at her swinging it violently. She met the wide blade with a slash of her saber and pushed back. It only slowed him down a little, allowing her to take another jab at him. Her blade did make contact, but only singed his armor instead of slicing all the way through.

They continued their mutual attack, each getting in a glancing blow here and there until, from out of nowhere, a blaster bolt whizzed by, narrowly missing her head. In shock, she jerked to look behind her to see a fifth knight poking out from her earlier hiding place. He was readying to let off another shot with his blaster rifle when the Force compelled her to spin back to her current opponent. His lethal blade was already in mid-swing coming right at her, when she ducked back just in time and swung up with her saber as strongly as she could. She felt the slight resistance as her blade sliced through something- his cleaver, she assumed. However, his piercing scream of pain drew her attention to the blade now lying on the sand, his severed hand still gripping the hilt.

"You cut my hand off, you little-"

Another shot streaked by, diverting her attention once again. This time she was a fraction of a second too late in remembering the man closest to her. She shouldn't have turned her back on him, she realized, as she felt the knife blade slice her arm. The pain was searing. She roared in anger, spun around and thrust her blade at him with as much force as she could possibly muster. It sank all the way through his chest and out his back. Even though she couldn't see his face because of the mask, she could feel his shock and surprise. For good measure, she twisted the saber in before pulling it back out and pushing his body to the ground.

Now for the shooter.

Ben had gotten off a few shots with the blaster, but none had been a fatal shot. The knights were vicious, well-trained fighters and he was taking on three at once without his saber. He knew their styles, but they also knew his, which made this uneven match-up surprisingly even. He was dodging Ushar's club and Ap'lek's ax blade, while also side-stepping to avoid Cardo's arm cannon, which had gotten off a couple of close shots. At one point, he used the Force to freeze one of the bolts in mid-air and sent it flying off in another direction, away from the terrified villagers crying and screaming in the middle of the village.

Ushar's club landed another blow, knocking Ben to the ground. Instantly, Cardo came near, his flamethrower already lit and spraying fire in Ben's direction. Knowing he couldn't get out of the way in time, he put up his hands, palms out, and used the Force to push the flames back onto the knight. The man's long coat caught fire and immediately he was engulfed in flames. With his deafening screams filling the air, the two remaining knights paused to witness the fiery death of their comrade, giving Ben just enough time to jump back up and fire off a blaster shot.

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Rey could feel the Force and adrenaline surging through her veins. She met the shooter head on, swinging her saber to deflect his incoming shots. Soon enough, she was face to face, his long-distance sniper rifle no longer of any use. He tossed it to the side and pulled out a long staff that was strapped to his back. They circled and swung, parrying, ducking, deflecting jab after jab. Rey heard a blood-curdling scream, and instantly worried about Ben. She turned to see a man in flames, her stomach clenching in fear of the worst.

"Ben!" she yelled desperately.

Her moment of distraction allowed her attacker to land a blow from his staff to the back of her legs. She crumpled to the ground and her saber went flying off to land out of her reach. In the next instant, he was standing over her, staff raised and ready to deal a deathly blow. She put up her hands and called upon the Force. The staff froze in midair despite the knight's efforts to move it forward. Rey gritted her teeth in concentration and pushed harder. The staff started moving backward behind his head, his arms straining to resist, but he was losing the battle. She held it there and slowly stood up keeping one hand focused on him while the other was outstretched ready to catch the saber she summoned back to her grasp. As soon as it hit her palm, she ignited it and plunged it into his head. She accidentally let the Force hold go too soon, and the staff came swinging back down on her head, knocking her out cold just as the knight's lifeless body collapsed in a heap.

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"Rey!"

Ben had felt her suddenly go silent in the Force. Something was wrong. He felt the fear and anger rise within him and tried to focus it on defeating his two opponents so he could get to Rey. Ap'lek and Ushar were circling him, both tiring just a little, he could tell.

"Is that your little scavenger girlfriend?" Ap'lek taunted. "The one you betrayed Snoke and us for? Is she worth it?"

Ushar chimed in. "She must be one fine piece of -" He never got to finish his sentence. His club immediately clanked to the ground and he clutched his throat gasping for air. Ben held out his hand, pinching his finger and thumb together mimicking what was happening to Ushar's windpipe. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ap'lek raising his ax to attack. Without even turning his head, Ben swung his other hand around, the one holding the blaster, and fired off a series of shots. Ap'lek's yelp told him his shot hit its mark and he returned his focus to the choking man in front of him. Using the Force once again, he lifted Ushar off the ground, legs and arms flailing helplessly, and then flung him as hard as he could into the nearest boulder. A loud thud and crunching of bones sounded and another knight was gone.

He spun around to find Ap'lek grasping his arm. The wounded man staggered to his feet, and moved toward the group of petrified villagers. Before Ben could stop him, he grabbed the nearest villager who was unlucky enough to be standing on the edge of their group. The little youngling screamed and tried to evade his grasp, but he managed to hold tight. Ben's heart sank when he recognized his little friend as Ap'lek's hostage, knowing the man had no qualms about killing innocents. He started dragging her backward in retreat. Ben started after them, but Ap'lek's words stopped him.

"Don't come any closer, not unless you want me to snap this little one's neck. And you know I'll do it."

The little girl was crying for her mother, a look of utter terror in her eyes. Ben's nostrils flared and he felt the Dark Side trying to creep back in. He forced it out and tried to concentrate on saving the little one.

Ap'lek noticed the effect his threat had on Ben's approach. "It's true then. You really have gone soft. I should've known. Your heart was never really in it." He kept moving further away and Ben tried to will some calm into the terrified villagers as he slowly followed Ap'lek's path toward the other end of the village.

He noticed the motionless forms of Trudgen and Kuruk lying on the ground and quickly searched for Rey. There she was, lying on her side, not moving. His heart tightened. He wanted to run to her, but knew he needed to ensure the safety of the Lanai first.

Ap'lek climbed clumsily up on a rock that overlooked the waves crashing below, trying to keep hold of the youngling that was his defense. "You're going to let me go," he said. "I'm going to go back to the Buzzard and Vicrul and I are flying out of here. Whether this little one makes out of this alive is totally up to you."

"Let her go, Ap'lek," Ben yelled back in response. "This is between you and me. Only a coward would use a kid as his shield." As he talked, he was devising a plan. He saw Ap'lek say something into his wrist comm, likely directing their sixth member to fire up their ship for take off. He was running out of time.

He stood at the base of the rock, looking up at the unpredictable villain and his hostage. Ben met her frightened little eyes and sent her a sense of calm and assurance. He nodded almost imperceptibly, waiting to see if she understood his message. A tiny little nod from her was all he needed.

Using the Force, Ben caused Ap'lek's foot to slip just enough so that he loosened his grip on the girl. Ben grabbed her with the Force and lifted her through the air to land safely next to him. The instant he was assured she touched down, he smiled at her and then returned his attention to Ap'lek, picking him up with the Force and swinging him out over the waves. He held him there like that, dangling helplessly, as Ben considered his options. Death was almost too good for this sorry excuse for a man… a man who would use a child so carelessly. He could Force choke him...snap his neck...bash him into the rocks...drown him.

But something stopped him. Here was a chance to show mercy, something unique to the Light Side. Maybe he should just let him go, let him run away like the true coward he was.

Suddenly, without warning, a giant beast leaped out of the water, its cavernous, tooth-filled mouth opened wide, and devoured the dangling Ap'lek in one gulp. Before Ben could even blink, the creature dove back under the waves, its long tail last to disappear beneath the sea.

Ben stood frozen in shock until he felt a tug on his pant leg. It was the little girl looking up at him questioningly.

"It wasn't me," he said honestly.

"It might have been me."

Ben spun around at the sound of Rey's voice. She was limping toward him, clearly still in pain, a guilty look on her face. He chuckled and rushed to help her. Then they both heard it at the same time- the sound of a ship powering up to take off. In the moonlight they made out the shape of the Night Buzzard. In a moment it was hovering over the beach, not taking off like they expected. Its quad lasers fired and one of the village huts exploded in a flash. The Caretakers screamed and scattered as the guns fired again. Ben and Rey knew this last knight would not stop until they were all destroyed. All of them were in danger.

They locked gazes, an unspoken plan passing between them. Both of them shot out a hand in the direction of the attacking ship. Ben squeezed his hand together and the quad laser gun crumpled in on itself. Vicrul, the only remaining knight flying solo on the ship, realized too late what was going on and tried to turn the Buzzard around to fly off. However, it was no use. Rey already had it at a standstill. The ship's thrusters groaned and strained against her pull, and she yelled through gritted teeth with the intense effort. Immediately, Ben added his own power to hers, and a back and forth between the two Jedi and the large ship ensued. Rey reached over with her free hand and grabbed Ben's. The contact seemed to amplify their strength, and in the next moment, they flung the ship far out over the ocean before plunging it into the sea. It didn't take long for the massively heavy vessel to sink without a trace.

Their outstretched hands dropped to their sides and they were both breathing heavily from the exertion. Locking eyes, they stared at each other intently, just like after their defeat of the guards on Snoke's ship. But unlike then when Ben had botched the moment with his disastrous offer, this time he simply pulled her into his arms and kissed her soundly.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22-

Rose Tico loved to tinker. Working with her hands, doing anything mechanical, was her preferred way to spend her time...apart from being with Finn, that was. Fortunately, she was lucky enough to be doing both at this very moment.

"Hand me the #3 hydrospanner, please," she instructed. She held the loose compressor in place with one hand and stretched out the other one in anticipation of the requested tool.

"Um, which one is that again?" Finn asked. "The really big one or the little one?"

Rose peeked around the engine to glare at him. "It's the baby one," she explained teasingly. He quickly grabbed the correct one and placed it into her palm. She smiled and shook her head. "You're hopeless, you know that? You'd never make it as a mechanic."

"Yeah, I know. That's why I was in First Order sanitation."

Rose laughed at this self-deprecation. "As long as you know your limits." She maneuvered the hydrospanner into the tight workspace and was just finishing up when the beacon bracelet on her wrist lit up and started pulsating. She slammed the engine panel shut and exclaimed, "I've gotta go!"

"What do you mean you've gotta go? Go where?" Finn questioned, taken aback by her sudden sense of urgency.

She quickly gathered up all her tools and headed out of the hangar, talking as she walked. "Gotta tell Leia...gotta find Artoo...get the Falcon…"

Finn realized she wasn't really talking to him- just rattling off a cryptic to-do list. He sped up, grabbed her arm and forced her to stop. "Rose, what in the world are you talking about? Where are you going? Why do you need to tell Leia?"

She seemed slightly perturbed that he was delaying her departure and pulled her arm out of his loose grasp. "It's Rey." She held up her wrist so he could see the flashing bracelet. "She activated her beacon which means she needs me to pick her up. I need to go now." She took off again and Finn followed.

"Ok, ok. Then I'll go with you."

Rose paused and stared at him curiously as if making a decision. Finally, she said, "Yeah, I don't know that you'd really want to go, Finn. But It's okay. I'll be fine with Artoo."

Finn frowned. "No, I want to go. What if you run into some trouble? Artoo can only help so much. And Rey is my friend, too," he added.

She considered his explanation and then relented. "All right. But just...just...don't…"

"Don't what?"

She sighed. "Just don't freak out when we get there." With tha,t she took off again. Over her shoulder, she yelled, "Go find Artoo and get the Falcon ready for take off. I'm going to tell Leia."

"Freak out?" Finn said to himself. "Why would I freak out?"

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Rose found Leia instructing a group of young officers in the command center. She looked up when Rose entered the room and offered a smile. The way this woman could remain so optimistic in the midst of all they were up against never ceased to amaze Rose. Leia knew from the look on Rose's face what she had to say and dismissed the others.

"It's time then," she stated when Rose got close enough. Rose nodded and showed the beacon bracelet. "So you're leaving now to go get...them?" Leia asked, unable to even say the name of her son out loud for fear her hopes would be dashed.

"Yes, and Finn insisted on coming with me."

Leia nodded and sighed. "That's probably a good thing. The First Order has been ramping up patrols all over, likely searching for...Ben."

Rose touched Leia's hand in support. "I don't know what to expect, but I do know that Rey will do everything she possibly can to bring your son back. She can be really stubborn, you know," she finished with a little smile.

Leia put her other hand over Rose's and patted it twice. "I know. She is a very determined young woman. Thank you, Rose." She gave her a quick hug and then said, "And may the Force be with you."

As Rose walked out of the room and headed to the Falcon, she realized that her day was about to get very interesting.

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Ben finally released Rey from his grip...and his lips. Their kiss of triumph over the Knights of Ren left them both a little dizzy.

"Just for the record," he started breathlessly, "_**that's**_ what I really wanted to do after we beat Snoke's guards."

She grinned. "Just for the record, that's what I really _**wanted**_ you to do after we beat Snoke's guards."

He laughed out loud, and she loved the sound of it. It was new to her and she wanted to hear it more. They slowly became aware of the villagers who had circled around them. Ben's little friend, held tightly by her mother, broke free and ran over to wrap her arms around Ben's leg. He leaned down and picked her up, and she threw her little arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

Rey watched in amazement and with a hint of amusement. Who would have ever thought the former Supreme Leader would be such a natural with children?

A yell from outside the circle drew everyone's attention away from the heroes. One of the Lanai was crouching over the villager who had been hit by Ushar's killer war club. She was begging for help, telling them she could still feel a faint pulse in her friend. Rey and Ben ran over and immediately knew what they needed to do. Squatting down on either side of the unconscious Caretaker, they laid their hands together on top of her chest and concentrated the Force and its healing powers upon her. Once again, they felt the warm tingle spread throughout their bodies, down their arms and out their fingertips. The onlookers watched, and in a few moments, the wounded villager's eyes fluttered open and she pushed herself up to a seated position. There were cheers and hugs all around as they celebrated the return of their friend.

Ben and Rey spent the next couple of hours helping the Lanai do their best to put their village back to rights. They even dragged the bodies of the fallen knights into a pile and started a fire. Leaving dead bodies lying around was not a good idea. Suddenly, a familiar sound broke through the night. Another ship was arriving. It passed in front of the moon and Rey was relieved to see the welcome shape of the Millennium Falcon.

"She's here," she said excitedly to Ben who was just finishing up throwing a final log on the flames.

Instantly he felt a bit of trepidation, but it wouldn't keep him from doing what he needed to do. Now that he had made his decision to leave the Dark Side and all its empty promises behind, he was all in for plunging ahead into his new life...whatever it might hold.

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Rose set the Falcon down skillfully onto the rather primitive landing pad. It was really just a flat, rocky ledge- the only place for landing a ship this size.

"So this is where Rey's been?" Finn asked, as she switched buttons and secured the landing gear.

"Yes… and Finn," she paused to look at him, "she's not alone." She hadn't told him that Kylo Ren was there, too. She figured it was Leia's prerogative to reveal his involvement up to this point. Plus, she wasn't sure how Finn would react. It was pretty inconceivable that Kylo Ren, Supreme Leader, was also Ben Solo, son of General Leia and currently hanging out with Rey on a hidden island planet.

"What do you mean, she's not alone?" Finn questioned. "Who is she with?" He was already starting to freak out. She could tell by the way his voice was growing increasingly more high-pitched and the words were spilling out faster and faster.

"Just...you'll just have to see for yourself. Just...just don't freak out."

"You keep saying that, and it's making me freak out!" he said.

Rose walked past him out of the cockpit. "Come on," she said, shaking her head.

They exited the Falcon, Artoo remaining on board because of the rocky landscape and to keep the ship ready to go as soon as they returned. Finn kept talking the whole trek to the village, his nervousness causing him to chatter incessantly. Rose kept her responses short and sweet, not sure what to expect when he finally found out who was with Rey. Fortunately, it didn't take too long and the fires of the Caretaker village were in sight. As they got closer, she could see Rey standing ready to welcome them, but she didn't see her companion.

Finn saw her too, and ran to pull her into a big bear hug. "Rey!" he exclaimed, happy to see his friend. "You're okay!" He let her go to see her smiling face.

"Of course, I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be?"

Finn tried to explain himself. "I don't know, but Leia and Rose wouldn't tell anybody what was going on, like it was some big secret, and-"

As he was talking, a tall figure emerged from one of the village huts and Finn saw him out of the corner of his eye. His voice drifted off, his sentence left incomplete as the figure approached. It took a moment for him to recognize the man in front of him without his typical black attire and clean shaven face. This person looked more like some kind of space pirate, but his mind knew who it really was. He instinctively drew his blaster and aimed.

"What- what is HE doing here?!" he yelled in angry disbelief.

Rey instantly jumped in front of Ben, holding out her arms to shield him from Finn. "Finn! Nooo!" she exclaimed.

Rose just calmly shook her head then walked over to push Finn's blaster to point at the ground. "I told you not to freak out, remember?" she said.

"But-but," he sputtered, looking at Rose and then back to Rey and Ben. "That's KYLO REN! Rey, he tried to kill us! Kill. Us!"

Finn tried to raise his blaster again, but Rose pushed it back down again and looked apologetically at Rey. "He insisted on coming with me."

"Rose, you don't understand," Finn continued, "that's Kylo Ren. He is the _**leader**_ of the First Order!...our ENEMY, remember?"

"Yeah, Finn, I know who he is. Now put your blaster away and calm down."

He looked pleadingly at Rose, then to Rey, then at Ben and back to Rose who was glaring at him with her hand held out. Finally, he conceded with a resigned sigh and placed his blaster into Rose's custody.

"Hmm. That wasn't as bad as I thought," Ben said with a nonchalant shrug. All eyes turned to him, the three surprised to hear him speak. Rey relaxed her stance and dropped her arms back to her sides. Rose studied him.

"You look in a lot better shape than when I last saw you," she said to Ben.

"Must be the salt air," he replied. "It does wonders."

Rose and Finn both froze and looked questioningly at each other, not sure whether he was joking or not. Rose then glanced at Rey who shook her head. "I'll tell you what happened when we're on the ship," she explained. "For now, let's get going." She picked up a bag from the ground and slung it over her shoulder.

"He's coming with us?" Finn asked, dismayed.

"Yes," Rey answered simply before brushing past him, headed toward the Falcon.

Finn looked over at Ben who just raised his eyebrows and gave another little shrug. He adjusted his bag ready to start walking, when a Caretaker came running after them. The little youngling stopped in front of Ben and said something to him in her language. He crouched down, now on her level, and the tiny girl threw her arms around the big, fierce, former leader of the First Order.

Finn couldn't believe it. He stood dumbfounded. "What...what is happening?" he said to no one in particular, unable to move.

Ben stood. As he passed by Finn, he patted him on the back. "I've been asking myself that same question." Then he took off after Rey.

Rose couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of the whole situation. "Come on, Finn. Let's go."

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Finn kept a wary eye on the fourth member of their group as they entered the Falcon. He paused at the bottom of the ramp to be the last to board. Rey and Rose were far too trusting, in his opinion, and he would have to stay on alert for the good of all of them.

Rose and Rey quickly made their way to the cockpit and fired up the ship for take off. Ben, however, walked past the cockpit access corridor and made his way toward the main hold. Finn observed him closely. He seemed to be surveying every inch of the old ship from floor to ceiling as he walked. Ben entered the hold and stood in the middle of the room looking all over as he turned in place. He noticed Finn watching him from the door and stopped, their eyes locking, sizing each other up.

"I don't know what game you're playing," Finn finally said, breaking the silence.

Ben shook his head and said simply, "No game."

Finn continued to eye him skeptically. "Yeah, well...we'll see."

"Fair enough." Ben moved casually over to the bench near the dejarik table and plopped down, stretching his long arms comfortably along the back of the couch. He was clearly not intimidated in the least.

"If you do anything to hurt Rey...or Leia…" Finn started, but he didn't finish.

Ben stared at him intently for a moment. He had to admit, he admired the man's attempt at playing the protective hero. "You know, you got a second chance when you left the Order. That's all I want, too." Then he leaned forward to put his elbows on his knees." I'm not your enemy," he explained. "Not anymore."

Finn furrowed his brow in sudden confusion. This was not the conversation he had been expecting. Not knowing what else to say, he turned and left. As he entered the cockpit, Rose and Rey were just lifting off. He slid into one of the passenger seats behind the two pilots and waited until they cleared the planet's orbit to commence his interrogation.

"Okay, Rey, what is going on?! Explain to me how in the world we have Kylo Ren lounging around in the hold on his way back to our headquarters!"

"Ben," Rey said shortly.

"Wh-what?" Finn questioned.

"His name is Ben," she explained. "He's not Kylo Ren anymore. And don't forget, he's also Leia's son," she added, looking back at him.

"Do you think he's just magically NOT evil anymore because we all call him something different? He was just fighting against us weeks ago!" Distress was apparent in his voice.

"Oh, I don't know, FN2187. That whole name change thing seemed to work out okay for you," Rose chimed in unexpectedly. Finn stared at her, speechless. "Rey trusts him, and that's enough for me." Rey smiled gratefully at Rose in the co-pilot's chair. "Everyone deserves a second chance."

'Thank you,' Rey mouthed to her friend who smiled in return.

Finn gave up his protest for now. Time would tell, and he would keep watching...very, very carefully.

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Once they jumped into their first stretch in hyperspace, Rey left Finn and Rose to go check on Ben. She found him with Artoo in the main hold. He was seated at the engineering console studying something in his hand. He sensed her approach and turned to offer a tiny, tight-lipped smile. She saw that the gold dice were what he was holding. He stood up as she came near, and she leaned back on the console station.

"We're in our first jump," she informed him. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," he nodded, slipping the dice back into his pocket. "Your buddy, Finn...he doesn't really trust me much."

"Can you blame him? I mean, you did try to kill him," she teased.

"No, if I had really tried to kill him, he wouldn't be here now threatening me against hurting you," he teased back, even though they both knew it was true.

"Finn is a good friend," she said in his defense.

Ben moved to stand directly in front of her. "Is that all he is?" He sounded a little uncertain, she noticed, suddenly realizing he probably had good reason to doubt people truly cared about him. Snoke had surely filled his head with years of poisonous, twisted emotions. He needed something steady and true.

She took a gentle hold on his shirt front and pulled him closer. Without saying a word, she kissed him slowly and softly, trying to reassure him in a way that would leave little doubt. When she finally pulled away, she gazed into his eyes and said, "Yes, he's just my friend."

Ben smiled widely, revealing his dimple, and moved in for another kiss. Abruptly, the ship lurched out of hyperspace, causing them to stumble and fall to the ground. Rey landed sprawled on top of him, and before she could manage to get off, another jolt sent her right back down. Ben's arms went instinctively around her in protection.

"That felt like a blast hit," he said.

In the next instant, a frantic Rose appeared in the doorway, and upon seeing Ben and Rey on the ground, her eyes widened in shock. "Oh!...oh, okay...um, we have a problem," she said, looking away discreetly while the two scrambled up off the floor. "First Order fighters."

It was all she needed to say. Rey and Ben dashed off toward the cockpit. Finn was doing his best to navigate, but he was an average pilot at best. Another shot blasted the Falcon, and they could see several other fighters swarming outside of the viewport.

"Good thing Chewie and I just upgraded those shields," Rose exclaimed.

"Finn, you and Rose go man the guns," Rey instructed, as she slid into the empty co-pilot's seat and took over flying. The two took off, leaving Ben standing awkwardly at the back of the cockpit. He was looking strangely at the pilot's chair Finn had just vacated. Rey steered the Falcon sharply to the right to avoid another blast and then glanced back over her shoulder at him.

"Are you just going to stand there or are you going to help?" she yelled.

It seemed to do the trick. He sat down into his father's former chair, took a deep breath and grabbed the controls.

Rey smiled reassuringly at him. "You told me you always wanted to be a pilot like your father," she said. "Well, now's your chance!"

The feel of the controls in his hands sent him straight back to his childhood- sitting on his father's lap as they flew off to all kinds of places...places sanctioned as 'safe' by his mother, of course.

'_I'm gonna be captain of the Miwinnium Fowcan someday, Dad!" he remembered declaring confidently as a very self-assured five-year old. _

_Han patted his head and replied proudly, 'You bet, little buddy!" _

And that was all Ben had wanted...before…

He forced his focus back to the incoming fighters. Odd how he was now fighting against the very organization he helped to build. Two were headed at them from the starboard side, so he jerked the Falcon on a hard right and aimed straight for them instead of away from them. It caught the pilots off guard just long enough for him to speed high over them, giving Rose, who was in the lower gun turret, a clear shot. Luckily, she was paying attention and landed a direct hit on one of the enemy fighters.

One down.

He circled back around to face the others- four that they could see. "Their command ship can't be too far away," he explained. "They wouldn't be able to be out here all alone for long."

Rey agreed. "We need to get rid of them and make our next jump." She started plugging in the next hyperspace coordinates while Ben kept flying.

He lined up another good shot, this time for Finn, and that left only three more. For several minutes the fighters pursued in a wild game of chase, Ben deftly evading most of their blasts. One was coming in hot on the port side and another from starboard, hoping to catch the Falcon in their crossfire. Realizing their intent, he yelled, "Hold on!", and then sharply pulled back on the controls before jamming them quickly forward and then down. The Falcon suddenly dropped from their enemy's sights, and the two ships destroyed each other in their own crossfire blasts.

"Yes!" Rey exclaimed triumphantly. But Ben was still intently focused on the last fighter, who must have just realized he was on his own. Instead of continuing the attack, the fighter disappeared into hyperspace, leaving the Falcon flying solo.

"Dammit!" Ben said under his breath.

Finn and Rose's whoops of joy sounded from the quad laser turrets. In no time, they were bursting into the cockpit, excited about their win.

"That was awesome flying, Rey!" Finn exclaimed.

"It was Ben," she replied. "He was the one flying."

Finn instantly sobered, unsure how to respond to that information. However, Rose had no problem.

"That was amazing!" she said to Ben. "You lined up those shots perfectly for us!"

Surprisingly, he didn't look very pleased. "One got away," he said in disappointment. "He'll report back about us and it will get to Hux. No, I should have finished him off."

Rey reached over and placed a hand on his arm. "We're alive and in one piece," she interjected. "I say we call that a win. Now let's make this last jump and get back to base. I have the feeling someone is anxious to see us." She looked at Ben with a comforting smile, before punching them into hyperspace.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23-

"General, they're here."

Leia clicked off the comm unit in her room. She'd been waiting for this message ever since Rose had left earlier in the day. Her heart sped up. So many emotions were swimming around in her head. What would they say to each other? How would they react to seeing each other after all this time? Her motherly instincts kicked in first, wanting nothing more than to see her son again...to wrap her arms around him. There were so many things she wanted to say...so many things she needed to tell him.

Then the 'general' side barged into the conversation, reminding her that he was also the cause of so much of what she'd been fighting against for years. In any other case, she knew exactly how she would deal with an enemy. But what now that the enemy just so happened to be her only child?

Han's face sprang to mind, his smile of wonderment when he held Ben for the very first time on the day he was born. He had been very reluctant about becoming a father, thinking he would not be very good at it. But Leia knew better. Despite his doubts, she knew Han Solo's heart was made to be a father. And Ben had adored him, toddling after him as soon as he could walk on those chubby, dimpled legs.

This led to thoughts of the last time she had seen her scruffy-looking nerfherder as he promised to do his best to bring their son back home. He had looked older, grayer- but his was still the handsomest face in the galaxy to her. So much wasted time. So much she wished she could do over...different decisions she should have made. Maybe they wouldn't all be in this current situation if she had chosen differently.

"You know that doesn't do any good."

Leia turned to see Luke sitting on the edge of her bunk.

"Worrying about things that can't be changed is really just a waste of time. But you can affect the here and now," he added.

Leia grinned sardonically. "So, now that you're a Force ghost you've become a boundless fount of Jedi wisdom, huh?"

He shrugged. "One of the perks."

She smiled. "Are there many of those?"

"A few," he chuckled.

She walked over and sat down next to him. "Luke, I'm just not sure what to say to him. I should've done so many things differently...should have never sent him away...should never have given up trying to get him back," she said, hanging her head in regret.

"What's done is done, Leia. Ben is going to need you here and now. It won't be easy for him, making this change. He needs people to believe in him...to fight for him. Regardless of what happened in the past, he still needs his mother." He laid his hand on her knee, and even though he wasn't physically there, she could still sense the comfort he was offering through the Force. "Now," he said, standing to face her, "they're landing and you need to be there." With a smile and a nod of reassurance, he was gone.

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Rey and Rose eased the Falcon into the Resistance hangar and settled it down into an empty berth. Ben stood behind Rey's seat, observing all he could see out of the cockpit's viewport. The place was not very big or seemingly advanced compared to the First Order, and the array of other ships sitting around looked like a collection of relics from the time of the Empire. How did these people ever think they would be able to defeat the First Order? What gave them such hope?

Then it hit him. His mother. Leia Organa Solo gave them hope.

Suddenly, his hands felt clammy and a lump formed in his throat. His heart started beating faster and he felt light-headed. Rey glanced back up at him over her shoulder.

"It will be okay," she said quietly, offering a comforting little smile.

Finn watched their interaction from his side of the cockpit. Although the man had given him no reason to doubt his change of heart- yet- Finn could still not bring himself to just forgive and forget Kylo Ren- no, Ben Solo's past. He took it upon himself to be the watchdog if no one else would. The first time he showed signs of going back to his old ways, Finn would be there to deal with him. Of course, he didn't know exactly what he could do, but he would do something.

No one else but Leia knew that Ben was on board the Falcon. She had not told Poe or even Chewie, uncertain how they would react. They could deal with the aftermath once Ben was there with her, safe and sound.

Unfortunately, she ran into Poe on her way to the Falcon.

"Leia," he said, changing direction to walk with her, "I was just coming to talk to you. We just got word from one of our Stormtrooper contacts-"

"Not right now, Poe," she interrupted. "I've got something I need to do."

He seemed somewhat taken aback by her dismissal, but wasn't deterred. "What do you need? I can help."

"I don't need any help, Poe, but thank you for offering. We'll talk later." She kept walking, leaving a confused Poe standing in the corridor.

'That didn't seem like Leia,' he thought to himself. She seemed distracted and… nervous. Not like her at all. She was not only his mentor, but had become like a mother to him over these past few years. He decided to follow her just to make sure she was all right.

Rose and Finn were first to disembark, Artoo rolling along behind them. Rose saw Leia waiting anxiously near the bottom of the ramp. She shot her a smile, hoping to allay some of Leia's obvious nerves. Finn gave the general a knowing glance, but said nothing.

Leia saw Rey come down the ramp next, looking around cautiously, checking to see who else was present. Everyone in the hangar was busy doing his or her job, not really paying attention to the Falcon's return. She turned and nodded to someone behind her, giving the go-ahead.

And then there he was. Her son.

Her heart nearly burst and her eyes welled with tears. He walked down the ramp and she got her first good look at him in years. He was so tall and broad- not the gangly young boy anymore, but not too old either. His dark hair had grown out nearly to his shoulders, and he had a scruffy-looking goatee. He looked a bit like a scoundrel.

As he made it to the bottom, he noticed her and froze...just staring at her. She looked so little, was his first thought. And her hair was shot through with streaks of gray- new since he had last seen her in person. And her face- so familiar and yet... not. He noticed wrinkles now. She was getting...older.

She stepped closer to the ramp, and he watched her every step. Neither one took their eyes off the other. He felt his throat tighten and his bottom lip start to tremble.

"Ben," she said in a whisper and held out her arms.

"Mom," he said, before falling to his knees and throwing his arms around her, holding on for dear life. Her own arms quickly surrounded him.

"Oh, Ben!" she cried, "my sweet boy."

Rose felt tears trickle down her cheek as she watched the reunion. There was something so powerfully moving about seeing this big, imposing man revert back to a little boy in his mother's embrace. She heard a sniffle coming from next to her and turned to see Finn wiping his eyes.

"Finn, are you crying?" she asked.

"Me? Crying? Um...no, I'm not crying...just got a bit of dust in my eye, is all," he tried to explain.

"Dust?" she replied, knowing what he was doing. "Right...dust."

"Yeah, yeah," he repeated, "dust...in my eye."

Rose rolled her eyes and returned her gaze to the mother-son scene playing out in front of her.

Leia was stroking Ben's hair and kissing the top of his head. She kept repeating his name over and over softly, as if she couldn't believe he was really there. Rey stood off to the side, her heart full as she watched them. Part of her wanted to run over and throw her arms around them both, but knew it was not her place nor was it the time. Leia glanced up at her, eyes glistening, a grateful smile on her face, and mouthed a silent 'thank you.' Rey nodded and smiled back.

After a few more moments, Ben pulled back and got to his feet, towering over his tiny mother. She gazed up at him adoringly and he returned it. "I think you're even taller than your father," she said innocently. However, the mention of his father brought instant pain to Ben's eyes.

"Mom, I-" he started to say, but she put up her hand to stop him,

"Later," she told him. "We have a lot to talk about. First, let's go to my quarters." She hooked her arm through his and started leading him out of the hangar. He turned back to look at Rey who offered him an expression of reassurance.

Other nearby workers were growing curious. Some were even figuring out who this mystery visitor really was. However, none of them knew quite what to do or say about it. Except one- a late arrival who had just entered the hangar to see the tail end of the happy reunion. Only he wasn't happy about what he saw.

"What the hell is HE doing here?!"

It was Poe Dameron, storming up to face Leia and Ben.

"Poe," Leia started.

"Are you kidding me?! He shouldn't be here! He's with the First Order! Do you know how many of our people he's killed?!"

Leia had heard enough.

"No, but I do know how many of our people _**you've**_ killed. Or have you forgotten your dreadnaught bombing fiasco?!"

Poe was stunned to silence.

She sighed deeply. "Poe," she said, her tone softening, "we'll talk later. I promise." Then she and Ben walked away.

Finn stepped next to Poe. "I know how you feel, man." Poe gazed up at him, a mixture of anger, disbelief, and injured pride in his brown eyes. "But he is Leia's son. Her only son."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

There were tears...many tears from both Leia and Ben. Years of misunderstanding and miscommunications were finally cleared up as each one of them offered apologies and explanations. She couldn't stop looking at him, drinking in the sight of him-still her little boy in so many ways. Hints of Han showed in the way he cocked his head as he listened to her or in the arch of his eyebrow or his roguish lop-sided little grin. Yet there was so much that was changed about him- internal scars from the past that had most definitely left their marks. She held on tight to his large hand, marveling at how it dwarfed hers and remembering holding his pudgy one as a little boy.

"I don't know how I can ever do enough to make up for all of the bad choices I've made," he was saying, after they'd already been talking for hours. "I shouldn't have been so weak...so easily manipulated by Snoke. I was so determined to NOT be what you expected me to be, that I ignored what he was doing to me. I was a fool." He hung his head shamefully.

She pushed a strand of hair behind his ear. "We were all fools. Your father and I let fear guide us- fear that we would never be good enough parents for you. I should have known better. Our family history is full of stories about the dangers of being afraid of losing a loved one. It never turns out well." She was, of course, referring to her father, Anakin Skywalker and his attempts to stop his mother's and his wife's deaths. He had not handled it well, to say the least.

Ben glanced up at her. "I saw him," he said. When she seemed not to realize whom he was speaking of, he explained. "Grandfather...Anakin. I saw his Force ghost on Ahch-To. He appeared to me one night."

"Did he, now?" she asked, truly curious. "Seems like a lot of things happened on that island. Rey was right to take you there." She felt a subtle shift in his demeanor at the mention of Rey's name. Just as she suspected. "She's quite an amazing young woman." She watched for his reaction and saw a slight blush creep into his cheeks.

"She is," he admitted.

Leia continued. "We're lucky to have her on our side." She paused for a moment. "Now, you must be tired and hungry. Let me find you a room and something to eat. We'll talk more tomorrow." Getting to her feet, she declared, "I'd like to pick your brain about the First Order," and shot him a wink.

Ben stood up as well, towering over her. "I would expect nothing less, General." He pulled her into his arms for another hug. "Did you shrink?"

She glared up at him. "Don't be a smart ass, Solo."

Ben turned off the shower faucet and dried himself, slipping on the clean pair of sleep pants Leia had rounded up for him. Then he turned his attention to the facial hair that was really starting to itch. Usually he had his grooming droid take care of it, but was on his own here. As he shaved it off looking in the mirror, his mind replayed the events of the last few days. Everything had changed.

Everything.

No longer was he Supreme Leader of the First Order, most powerful man in the galaxy who could have anything he wanted. No, now he was just Ben Solo. He wasn't exactly sure who Ben Solo was just yet, but he was ready to find out. He certainly hoped his future included Rey. She had quickly become very important to him, and he didn't want to go through this change without her.

The buzzer to his door sounded just as he finished shaving. He'd assumed everyone else was already asleep, but maybe...maybe a certain pretty Jedi was coming to say good night. He opened the door expecting to see her face, only to find Poe Dameron, who pushed past him angrily.

"I don't know what you think you're doing," he started.

"Please, come in," Ben said sarcastically.

Poe ignored it. "You really think you can just show up here, after all you've done, and just act like nothing ever happened?!" He glared daggers at Ben, who just stood calmly staring back without saying a word. The silence grew awkward. "What? Are you going to mind probe me again?" he finally sputtered. "Maybe a little Force choke?"

Ben kept staring silently until, "I could… but I'm a little too tired. It's been a really long day."

That only made Poe angrier. "You know, you put Leia through hell. She didn't deserve any of that, but she loves you anyway, so she's letting you back into her life. And if you do anything to hurt her-" Poe was so worked up, he couldn't even finish his threat.

"I know, I know," Ben said. "Look, I appreciate your dedication, but what goes on between my mother and me is our business. And I'm not here on some secret infiltration mission trying to sabotage the Resistance. Now, if you don't mind, I really am tired and would love to get some sleep."

He walked over and hit the panel to open the door. Poe hesitated for a moment before starting out the door. Once he crossed the threshold, he spun around, his mouth open to say something else cutting. But before he could get out another word, Ben said, "Good night!" and hit the 'close' button.


End file.
